


i never knew perfection (until i heard you speak)

by comebackbehere



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, just a whole lot of oneshots, they're also on my tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2018-10-25 20:39:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 54,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10772016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comebackbehere/pseuds/comebackbehere
Summary: Just some oneshots for Trini and Kimberly that I've recieved on Tumblr.





	1. just in case you didn't know

**Prompt: Ok, here's a prompt since no one has yet written one using the fact that both Becky G and Naomi Scott are singers and song writers. "Trini and Kim singing along to songs or just plain singing together"**

* * *

 

Everything is silent.

  
The smoke swells around her and she can see her teammates running with their mouths moving, but all she hears is _nothing_. A panic seizes her as she tries to sit up, but the pain in her body refuses to relent and she gives up as she falls back. It isn’t til the face of an angel is hovering over her, and she sees full lips move but once again that she realizes it’s like someone has their hands held impossibly hard over her ears; she just can’t hear.

  
That thought causes the darkness to finally engulf her.

  
-

  
“Where were you?”

  
Zack blinks as Trini charges to him, “What?”

  
“You said you had Kim’s back!” Trini exclaims as she shoves him hard enough that he stumbles. “You said that you would keep an eye on her, Zack. So where the fuck were you?”

  
“I…”

  
Trini shoves him again with a growl, “I never should’ve trusted you! I should’ve been with her! How could you be so reckless with her?”

  
Jason wraps his arms around Trini and pulls her back, “This isn’t helping, T. Come sit down.”

  
“No!” Trini snaps as she begins to squirm.

  
Jason grunts at how strong she is, and he can’t help but flinch as an elbow embeds itself in his side. He continues to allow her to fight before he does something he’s seen Kimberly do a thousand times, he scoops an arm under Trini’s legs and lifts her. Just like that, Trini calms. Her angry growls turn to sniffles as she turns her head into his neck and pours out her worry; he simply sits down and holds her.

  
-

  
Kimberly is deaf. Well, they say it isn’t permanent but for now her hearing is shot. The doctors assured her parents that it would return within the next three days, and Kimberly was thankful she didn’t have to listen to her mother cry. It’s strange, the never ending silence. Everything seems so different. It’s hard to explain. She is released from the hospital a day after the explosion (or as her parents think, an effect from a very loud science experiment gone wrong), and all she wants to do is curl up in bed and wait.

  
The boys visit and they bounce around her room like children, and Kimberly is almost thrilled she can’t hear them. Her amusement is clear as she watches them, and it’s sort serene; these are her boys, the three boys she’d lay her life down for. Zack with his goofy smile and his never ending love for adventures. Billy with his big heart and puppy dog eyes and his loyalty to something they weren’t even sure they could pull off. And Jason with his belief in her, with his messy hair and strong gaze. So, she sits there and let’s them laugh and suddenly she can’t wait to hear that sound again.

  
-

  
Kimberly’s parents adore Trini, they have from the moment they met her. Her mother dotes on Trini and her father laughs at all of her girlfriend’s lame jokes; it’s picture perfect, and she knows she’s much too lucky to have these amazing parents that are equally as amazing with her girlfriend. She figures that’s why her parents don’t freak out when they come in later that night after the boys have left and find Trini glued to Kimberly’s side; if they’re affected by it, they definitely don’t show it.

  
Trini doesn’t try to talk to her, she doesn’t write anything down on the whiteboard Billy brought her, she just lays with her head on Kimberly’s chest. A smile spreads across her face as she plays with Trini’s soft hair and she can feel the way her girlfriend taps along to the thump of her heartbeat. Her eyes close until she feels a gentle fingertip swirling on her chest and it takes her a moment to realize that Trini is writing something on her collarbone.

  
First there’s an I. And then she can feel the soft twirl of a heart being drawn and that’s all Kimberly needs to understand, she catches Trini’s hand in her own and brings it to her lips. Of course her girlfriend would choose this moment for their first ‘I love you’ and Kimberly simply smiles and says it out loud. Based on the way Trini cringes with a laugh, she can guess that she screamed it but that doesn’t matter. She’d scream it from the highest building in Angel Grove if she could.

  
Kimberly keeps yelling it until Trini climbs onto her and steals every ‘I love you’ from her mouth with a simple kiss.

  
-

  
Kimberly is already annoyed by the second day, she hates that she can’t hear what’s going on around her. All she can do is watch. She watches Zack’s mouth move until she can see Billy and Jason fall back with laughter. She watches her father spin her mother around and she can clearly tell that he is singing. But Trini stays silent, she doesn’t even attempt to speak. She just holds Kimberly and they sit in a peaceful silence. That night, after her parents have gone to bed, Trini sneaks back into her room with a soft smile.

  
Trini is gentle with her as she sweeps her into kisses and smooths her hands along her body, and Kimberly delivers the opposite as she pulls hastily at clothing. If she can’t hear, then she’ll settle for feeling. She’ll settle for the look on her girlfriend’s face as she lays on her back with her hair messily spread around her. She’ll settle with having Trini any way she can. And she settles for it because she can hear every noise in the back of her mind.

  
She knows Trini gasps when Kimberly presses open mouthed kisses to her neck. She can almost hear Trini giggling as she trails kisses down her toned abdomen with hair that tickles at Trini’s body. She doesn’t need to actually hear Trini to know exactly what words slip from her mouth once her fingers glide into slick heat. Kimberly kisses Trini breathless, and Trini lays beneath her with pink cheeks and a sleepy smile while her finger lazily traces a heart along her collarbone.

  
Kimberly doesn’t need to hear when everything Trini wants to say is in her soft kiss.

  
-

  
It takes almost three days for her hearing to come back, and the first thing she hears is a soft guitar. Her brow scrunches and her body aches as she rolls over and frowns at the sight of her friends camped out on her floor. They have stopped by every day after school to deliver homework and much needed laughter, but it seems they’re taking a softer route today. Kimberly shifts on the bed and curls her arms around her pillow as she watches Trini strum the guitar while humming softly.

  
“Sing.”

  
“Any requests?”

  
“Sing the song you were singing in the hospital when Kim was admitted.” Billy beams as he eagerly claps his hands. “The one you wrote for Kim!”

  
Trini shakes her head as she looks to Billy for a moment while the tune on her guitar changes, “How did you even hear that? I thought I was being quiet.”

  
“You were crying,” Billy frowns. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  
Kimberly feels her heart swell and drop all in one go at the knowledge that she unwillingly made Trini cry. She can count on one hand the times she has seen Trini cry, and three of those times have now been because of her. She bites back a sigh as she settles against her pillow and watches Trini blush as she begins to change the flow of her sound while her gaze drops to the strings.

  
“I can’t count the times I almost said what’s on my mind, but I didn’t. Just the other day, I wrote down all the things I’d say but I couldn’t. Just couldn’t.”

  
Sound has never been as important to Kimberly as it was in this moment; the second Trini’s voice fills the room it makes her realize how relieved she is that the blast in her Zord wasn’t any worse. Trini’s voice is something that Kimberly can’t describe, it’s so unlike her normal harsh tone. Especially when she sings in Spanish, Kimberly never knew how sexy a foreign language could be until Trini playfully sang her a nursery rhyme one rainy afternoon.

  
“Baby, I know that you’ve been wondering, so here goes nothing…”

  
Kimberly feels like she’s floating as she watches Trini break down her walls and spill out the truth in her lyrics. She can tell the boys are completely enraptured by her as they all sit with wide eyes and dropped jaws; Trini didn’t really sing for anyone other than herself and her brothers, she always told Kimberly that she saved those moments for the people she loved the most, she says she’s afraid that people will say she sucks. Kimberly thinks she’s just afraid of being vulnerable.

  
“In case you didn’t know, I’m crazy about you. I’d be lying if I said I could live this life without you. Even though I don’t tell you all the time, you had my heart a long, long time ago. In case you didn’t know.”

  
“Oh, I knew.”

  
Her voice sounds almost foreign to her, and it causes every occupant in the room to go stock still. And then the burst of noise hits her and she cringes, it sends an immediate wave of pain through her. All at once, Trini stands and pushes Jason aside as she crawls onto the bed with Kimberly and presses a shower of kisses along her face. Kimberly sighs as she tucks her head under Trini’s chin and closes her eyes; she hears the boys hollering for her parents, she hears Trini ordering them to shut up, but most importantly she hears the steady heartbeat that thrums deep in Trini’s chest; the same heart that belongs to her.

  
With a gentle touch, Kimberly reaches up to trace a heart on Trini’s collarbone.

  
“I love you, too.” Trini whispers.

  
Kimberly swears she has never heard anything better than that.


	2. all the bad fades to black

**Prompt: How about this for a trimberly prompt Kimberly gets suspended from school because she beat up Amanda for outing trini out to the entire angel grove high school. So trini visits Kim at home to see how she's doing after she was sent home after the fight.**

**A/N: Changed it up a little >.<**

**Trigger Warning: Homophobic slurs**

 

* * *

 

 

The first time Trini gets in trouble for being different, she’s seven and in the third grade. At this point in her life, she was full of smiles and excitement; she was also full of love for Bianca Yenton, her best friend and the prettiest girl besides her mami. So, on Valentine’s day when her mother takes her card shopping, she picks out the sweetest looking lollipop and the brightest card and scribbles Bianca’s name on it.

 

But Bianca never gets the letter or candy, her mother sees it and yells at Trini before she throws it away. It’s the first time she hears the word ‘gay’ and it’s only when her mother is yelling at her father that ‘my only child is not gay, I refuse to even consider it.’ Trini knows her mom really is mad when she doesn’t come in later to read her Goodnight Moon and tuck her in with a kiss. Two months later, Trini’s father puts in for a job transfer and she leaves Texas and Bianca behind.

-

  
Trini knows she’s gay by the time she’s thirteen. While all her friends gush about Zac Efron, Trini watches Ashley Tisdale with a curious expression. When one of her friends gets a boyfriend and talks about how he smells like Axe body spray, Trini scrunches her nose and thinks that vanilla or something flowery would be better. Anytime they so much as mention kissing a boy, Trini allows her eyes to flutter shut and she silently replaces that boy with a girl.

  
The only problem is that all of the things she feels is apparently wrong. Her friends make faces at her when she compliments one of their skirts, and they stop holding hands with her one day after some boy in a grade above them calls her a dyke. She doesn’t even know what it means, but it still brings tears to her eyes. It still leaves her friendless within the span of a week. Once again, their family packs up and moves.

-

  
“Trinity Santana Gomez, how could you do something like this?” June demands as she looks at her daughter with wide eyes. “I know your papi and I raised you better, I know you know this is _wrong_.”

  
This being her first kiss. Her first kiss that took place in her basement with some bubblegum pop song playing in the background. Her first kiss that was taken by Hannah Garcia. Her first kiss that was interrupted by her mother who screamed at them until Hannah ran out of the house in tears and left Trini to face the wrath of the women before her.

  
“Don’t you know that you’re sinning? Everything you do with that…harlot is a sin. It’s disgusting.” June growls. “I don’t know what has gotten into you, Trinity, but enough is enough.”

  
Enough turns out to be conversion therapy. Except it doesn’t work, it just shatters her self-confidence and molds her into a harder shell. After that, she changes. Her smile disappears. Her music becomes loud screams that match the anger that thrums through her veins. Her clothes are darker, her face is hidden by beanies. Trini strips herself of the person she was and paints a new face; her parents bump her to Angel Grove the day after her therapy ends.

-

  
Three schools in three years. It takes her three schools before she lands herself in the middle of a group of kids who teach her what it means to build a family. None of them are perfect by any means, but they accept each other’s flaws without question. They accept Trini when she finally gets the courage to admit that she is gay, that she’s done pretending to be someone she’s not. They hug her, they tell her it’s okay, and Zack promises to be her wingman.

  
But Kimberly is the one who sneaks into her room later that night with a box of donuts and wine coolers. It’s a horrible mix, but they toast to her self freedom and Kimberly makes her swear to always be true to who she is. Eventually, the alcohol sets in and both girls cram donuts in each other’s mouths to smother laughter while Trini rolls the empty bottles under her bed.

  
They fall asleep pressed close together with powder on their noses and something more growing between them.

-

  
Kimberly kisses her on a Saturday that they’re trapped in the pit going through exercise after exercise. They’re both exhausted and sweaty, but Trini says something that brings out a smile from Kimberly and soon soft lips are against her own. To Trini, it tastes like coming home but there’s still a part of her that screams that this is wrong; but she flicks that little part of her aside and says fuck it.

  
“And what was _that_ for?” Trini smirks as Kimberly slowly pulls away.

  
“Just me ending the tension.” Kimberly teases, and Trini lights up with a blush. “I think we should go somewhere after we get out of here. I think we need to talk.”

  
Trini nods, “I think so too.”

-

  
They talk that night, they quietly talk beside Kimberly’s lake, they talk until the sun rises high above them and Angel Grove. They talk as school begins. They talk well past first period, and long into second. The conversation never falters, and the laughter between them is soft and easy. They talk until Trini’s phone blows up with texts and Kimberly’s lights up with a photo of her mother.

  
“Shit.” Kimberly hisses.

  
Trini winces as she reads the texts, “Fuck.”

  
Both girls fumble to their feet as their bubble pops and reality sets in; their bodies ache from staying in one position for so long and their stomachs rumble after being neglected for so long. Trini smiles softly as Kimberly winces and presses a hand to her abdomen. As they stand there, the two look towards their new beginning.

  
“What is this exactly?” Trini asks.

  
Kimberly shrugs and begins to back away with a smile, “I don’t know yet, but I hope you’ll stick around for the ride so we can find out.”

  
Trini knows damn well she’s not going anywhere; not when Kimberly smiles like that, not when she knows what freedom tastes like on the lips of somebody. Not when all the wrongs she has been taught suddenly feel so damn right.

-

  
“Do you think being gay is wrong?”

  
On the top of an old abandoned railroad cart, Trini and Zack share a bag of Cheetos and a Sprite. As the question settles between them, Zack looks up at her with wide, sad eyes. She almost regrets asking the question, but this is _Zack_. Zack who calls her his best friend. Zack who invites her for chess nights with his mom. Zack who has accepted her craziness from the moment they met.

  
“No. I don’t.” Zack replies. “Do you?”

  
“I wish I could say no.” Trini scoffs as she sips at the cold carbonation. “Stupid, right? I’m gay and I’m sitting here thinking how wrong I am, how disgusting I am.”

  
“T,” Zack whispers as he furrows his brow slowly. “You’re not disgusting and you’re not wrong, there’s nothing bad about the person you are. You’re still Trini, you just like girls.”

  
Trini gives a bitter laugh, “Why can’t my parents see it that way?”

  
“Because they suck.” Zack snaps as he crunches down hard on a Cheeto. “Trini, you haven’t changed a bit since the second you told us you were gay.”

  
“I have changed though.” Trini admits. “I was an entirely different person once upon a time. Sometimes I wonder what kind of person I’d be if my mom had been cool with me giving that card to Bianca Yenton.”

  
“As long as you still somehow ended up here, I wouldn’t care if you had showed up here with lime green hair and a grill. Even if you did, you’d still be my crazy girl.” Zack grins.

  
Trini looks at him and wonders how she got so lucky. She knows Zack had feelings for her, she isn’t quite sure if they’re even gone, but he has been by her side through it all. With a shake of her head, she lays back and stares up at the darkening sky and Zack joins her a moment later; here with her insane best friend, Trini almost feels normal.

-

  
“Whoa.”

  
Kimberly smiles as she glances over her shoulder, “You okay?”

  
“Whoa.”

A soft laugh leaves Kimberly as she reaches around herself to clip her bra back into place before she feels around for her boyshorts. Deep in the wooded area, beside Kimberly’s beloved lake, Trini stares up at the trees and struggles to come back down from her high. Everything seems so different now, everything feels real. Her entire body buzzes with energy and her heart knocks heavily, pounds against her ribcage in search of the girl who now owns every piece of it.

  
“Pretty girl, come back to me.” Kimberly whispers as she props herself on her elbow while her empty hand drags down Trini’s bare stomach.

  
“I can’t.” Trini admits.

  
“Well, you’re speaking more than one word so that’s an improvement.” Kimberly teases as she ducks her head to press a kiss to Trini’s neck. “Come on, you. I don’t want anyone to find us.”

  
The words wash away every previous feeling as they register. Kimberly doesn’t want anyone to find them, she doesn’t want anyone to _know_. With that, Trini sits up and barely manages to miss slamming her head against Kimberly’s as she paws for her clothes. Her hands shake as she scrambles to get dressed while her heart crumbles in her chest, and she can hear Kimberly calling her name but all she can focus on is getting the hell out of here.

  
“Trin, what are you doing?” Kimberly demands as she stands and rests a soft hand on Trini’s shoulder.

  
Trini shrugs the hand off, “You don’t want anyone to see us.”

  
“That doesn’t mean we have to rush out of here.” Kimberly frowns as she moves to slip her arms around Trini only for the girl to step away. “What’s going on?”

  
“I-I get it. You don’t want anyone to see.”

  
“Well, yeah.” Kimberly chuckles and Trini sinks at the sound. “I mean, the last thing we need is for someone to stumble upon us naked by a lake. That isn’t exactly how I want to tell the boys about us.”

  
Trini pauses, “Wait…you’re not embarrassed?”

  
“ _Embarrassed_?” Kimberly repeats with a look of confusion. “What would I have to be embarrassed about?”

  
“Me.”

  
Kimberly barks out a laugh that holds no humor, “What? Trini, I’m not embarrassed at all. What just happened…Trini, it was amazing. I don’t have any regrets. I…do _you_ regret it?”

  
Trini furrows her brow as she tries to process Kimberly’s words; she wasn’t ashamed, she wasn’t embarrassed. She was happy with what happened, she was actually content. The surprise explodes in the form of a sob, and Kimberly is curled around her before Trini can even consider falling into her embrace.

  
“I’m not embarrassed. I’m so lucky that I have you, Trini. I’m so happy to have this with you.” Kimberly whispers as she presses a kiss to Trini’s head. “I’ll say it a thousand more times if you need me to. There is nothing wrong with what we’re doing, okay?”

  
And Trini finally starts to believe it.

-

  
Telling the boys is one of the best moments in Trini’s life. They’re all like excited puppies as they throw out questions and wrap the girls in hugs. Last night, after their afternoon at the lake, Kimberly had tilted Trini’s chin up and kissed her right there on her front porch. It was after that, that Trini gathered all the bad things in her head and tossed them away; it was in that moment that the fear left her and she had asked a beaming Kimberly to be her girlfriend.

  
“I’m happy for you guys.” Jason laughs as he once again twirls Kimberly around. “You guys are going to make a great couple. I’m really glad Kim will leave me alone about how cute you are, Trini.”

  
Trini smirks from her place curled in Billy’s hug. Eventually, Billy steps away and scurries off to Kimberly who releases Zack and gives him a nod. Trini scoots off to her best friend and Zack wraps his arms around her waist and lifts her fully off the ground; she can almost feel how proud he is as he squeezes her tight enough to almost shatter her ribcage.

  
“You did it, crazy girl.” Zack whispers in her ear. “Now, take every word that anyone has told you and tell them to fuck off. Don’t doubt your happiness for a second, alright? You’ve got it all now."

  
Trini nods through her tears, “I’m gonna be alright?”

  
“Better than alright.”

  
“Hey, give me my girlfriend back!”

  
Zack laughs and sets Trini back on her feet and Trini can feel him watching her as she sinks off into Kimberly’s arms. Her head rests in the crook of her girlfriend’s neck as she watches her boys hoot and holler in excitement. This, she figures, is what a real family must feel like.

-

  
“So, date night?” Zack teases as he approaches Trini and gives her a strong nudge. “You seemed all too content when you texted me last night.”

  
“First of all, all I said was fuck off,” Trini snorts as she slams her locker shut and leans against it. “But, if you must know, we had an amazing time.”

  
“Are we talking about a very special date night?” Jason demands as he approaches with Billy at his side. “Kim wouldn’t stop gushing about it all period, I heard you actually wore pink.”

  
“I’m not saying a thing.” Trini chirps.

  
“Saying a thing about what?” Kimberly asks as she approaches, and her smile widens as she sees Trini. “Are we talking about a certain something that happened last night?”

  
“Possibly.” Trini smirks.

  
Kimberly looks at Trini with so much devotion and promise that it causes their friends to startle. The five of them know that they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, and the boys can see that Trini and Kimberly have apparently found their safety in each other. Jason smiles softly at the thought, all he wants is for his team to be happy.

  
“Well, well. If it isn’t Angel Grove's biggest traitor and her group of losers.”

  
The five stiffen at the familiar nasally voice, and they turn with reluctance to watch as Amanda and her group crowd them. Just like that, the hallway goes quiet as everyone zeroes in on the drama that is about to take place; all is silent as the groups stare each other down until Zack gives a protective growl.

  
“Walk away, Amanda.” Zack orders.

  
“Fuck off, trailer trash.” Amanda sneers, and Zack immediately recoils while his team tenses. “Jason, Kim. I know you’ve fallen pretty low on the social ladder, but this is just pathetic. Really, Kim? You’re going to associate yourself with a _dyke_?”

  
“What is wrong with you?” Jason snarls as he takes a step forward only for Ty to slam a hand against his chest. “You guys need to walk away. _Now_.”

  
Amanda waves him off and focuses back on Trini, “Does Kimmy know how you perv on her? Does she know that you probably watch her change? Aw, do you have a crush on Kimberly?”

  
“Stop.”

  
Trini speaks so softly that it breaks the team’s hearts. Before them, their fellow Ranger sinks into herself with a look of confusion and so much self-hatred; they can tell that every word Amanda tosses her way is just another memory being dragged up. And while the boys are angry, Kimberly is fuming; her chest heaves and her body glows with an unexplainable anger.

  
“Did we upset you?” Rebecca coos as she gives a pout. “Everyone in this school already knows what you are. It’s not it’s some giant secret.”

  
Kimberly swallows hard, “Leave her alone.”

  
Amanda flashes Kimberly a smirk, “It’s so cute that you’re all so ready to fight for this loser. How can you even stand to be around her, Kimberly? Doesn’t it just make your skin crawl knowing that she’s staring at you?”

  
Kimberly listens to the words that spew out of Amanda’s mouth. She takes them in, let’s them swim through her head and settle to repeat over and over. The blood in her veins boils as she turns her head to rub her lips together before her tongue flicks out to lick at the edge of her mouth; she has never wanted to hit someone so badly before.

  
Amanda and her group roar with laughter as they notice the displeasure on the group’s faces. With a giggle, Amanda tilts her head with a look of slight sympathy as Trini tightens her grasp on the straps of her backpack and pulls it tighter while her gaze drops to stare at the dirty floor.

  
“Guys,” Billy begins in a soft tone. “They’re not worth it.”

  
“Maybe she just needs a good fuck to straighten her out.” Amanda offers, and the laughter quickly grows in sound. “Any takers? Ty?”

  
Kimberly feels the fire erupt and before she can register what she’s doing her hand is sweeping hard across Amanda’s face. A loud crack echoes in the hallway as the laughs twist into gasps and phones are pulled out to record Kimberly grabbing Amanda by her jacket and spinning to slam her against the lockers.

  
“Oh shit.” Zach groans as he presses a closed fist to his mouth.

  
Billy shakes his head, “She clearly had _that_ coming.”

  
“I think you’re done now, right?” Kimberly growls as she tries to hold back the strength she know she has. “You’re not going to disrespect my girlfriend like that and just walk away without a reminder as to why you shouldn’t.”

  
“Girlfriend?” Amanda sneers.

  
“Yeah. That beautiful girl is mine.” Kimberly snarls. “Keep your mouth shut and stay the hell away from her, stay away from all my friends. If you want to come at me then do it directly, leave them out of it.”

  
“What is going on over here?”

  
Students scatter until Kimberly is left staring up at her glowering principal.

-

  
“Alright, alright!”

“Kimberly Ann Hart, we expect to meet this girl that you’re so convinced you need to be suspended for!”

  
“Alright, Mom! Jesus.”

  
Kimberly huffs as she stomps up the stairs and towards her room; after being suspended, Kimberly had to come home to a two hour lecture from her parents. It definitely was a buzzkill to the adrenaline of her day; she never really planned to start her week off getting suspended, but she knows she’d do it all over again if it meant protecting her little makeshift family.

  
As she slips into her room, Kimberly feels her heart flutter as she sees Trini sitting in the nook of her windowsill. For a moment, she stops to admire how beautiful Trini looks in her ratty old beanie and the dipping sun glowing down on her. With a soft sigh, Kimberly crosses the room and startles Trini from her thoughts as she presses a kiss to the top of her head.

  
“Hi.” Kimberly whispers.

  
Trini doesn’t speak, she just curls her arms around Kimberly and pulls her until they are both crammed in the window nook. They find a comfortable position eventually with Kimberly sitting between Trini’s legs and their feet tangled together; here, in Trini’s arms, Kimberly once again has no regrets for her actions.

  
“So, an entire week?” Trini frowns.

  
Kimberly shrugs, “Not too bad.”

  
“You got into a fight. You got _suspended_. I’m all for trouble but even I know that’s bad, Kim.” Trini snorts as she drops her head to press a kiss to Kimberly’s shoulder. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  
“Defend your honor?” Kimberly frowns.

  
“Out yourself.” Trini corrects.

  
Kimberly falls silent for a beat before she turns her head so she can meet Trini’s nervous gaze, “Are you really talking about me or do you mean us?”

  
“Both.” Trini admits as her cheeks bleed through with a blush. “Now the whole school knows that we’re dating and…”

  
“And I don’t care. Trini, I’ve wanted this since the moment you tumbled down into that ravine with us.” Kimberly confesses before she pauses. “Were you ready to tell people? Fuck. Trin, did I overstep? I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

  
Trini reaches out to press a hand to her mouth, “I’m not upset, just surprised. I’m not…used to this. You guys are the first people to not give a fuck about my sexuality, I just didn’t expect you to want to tell everyone at school.”

  
“Mm,” Kimberly hums against Trini’s hand before she pulls it away from her mouth and drops a kiss to her palm. “I’m proud to be with you, Trini. I’m proud of the fact that you want to be with me.”

  
Trini closes her hand into a fist, “Why?”

  
Kimberly shifts until she is kneeling in between Trini’s legs, “Because you are ridiculously smart. Because you swerve on the road to avoid animals and butterflies. Because you laugh at all of Zack’s jokes and you always know what to say to calm Billy down. Because you’re the first to step up and help Jason.”

  
“Kim…”

  
“I’m not done.” Kim laughs as she presses her fingertips to Trini’s lips. “I’m proud to be with you because you’re proud of who you are. You’re beautiful, Trini. You are so beautiful. And the outside matches all the beauty on the inside.”

  
Trini swallows hard and slowly shakes her head, “I don’t deserve you.”

  
“I don’t deserve you either, babe. I don’t deserve any of what I have, to be honest.” Kimberly shrugs as she frames Trini’s face. “But I think that’s why we’re perfect for each other.”

  
“You deserve the world, Kim.” Trini argues.

  
Kimberly smiles as she ducks her head to press their lips together, “I already have it right here in my arms.”

  
In that moment, Trini throws it all away. Every therapy session, every backhanded comment from her parents, every shove in the hallways at school, every word carved into her locker, just… _everything_. She throws it away and grasps onto her future, grasps onto Kimberly and readies herself for the rest of forever.


	3. damn we be lovin' hard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Anytime I write Tommy, I definitely picture her as Madelaine Petsch.

**Prompt: Trimberly fluff with Tommy**

 

* * *

 

 

“Z to T, do you copy?”

 

“T is present. You there, B?”

 

“Yup.” Billy chirps. “Any sightings of our targets?”

 

“Negative. But I’ve got the south side covered and guarded.”

 

“Same on the west, target hasn’t moved since we set up base.”

 

“Interesting. Okay, troops, move in closer.”

 

Trini draws her walkie-talkie away from her mouth and dramatically rolls onto her stomach. As soon as she is comfortable, she begins to move quickly across the grass with a glare; her walkie-talkie is clutched close and she has two pink lines drawn under her bright eyes, she is ready for war.

 

In her spacious backyard, Trini’s family is crammed around the pool with a full party going on around them. In a moment of boredom, Trini had pulled Zack and Billy into one of her schemes. Trini scrambles to hide herself behind a bush as she presses a protective hand to the water gun tucked into her bikini bottoms while she keeps a close eye on the loungers nearby.

 

“Anything?”

 

Zack’s voice scratches through the speaker as she leans further into the bush, “We have slight movement. Target two has switched positions, he has a clear view of us if he opens his eyes.”

 

"Jason is target two, right?” Billy demands.

 

Trini smiles and rolls her eyes, “Yeah, B.”

 

“I don’t think he’d do anything,” Zack muses as he ignores their side conversation. “I think the only target we need to keep an eye on is one. Kimberly won’t hesitate to attack if she feels threatened.”

 

“That’s because my girlfriend is insane.” Trini grumbles and her walkie-talkie booms with laughter from Zack. “I think we should go for a frontal attack, I don’t think they’ll see that coming.”

 

“No. Bad idea. We can’t. We should go in from the sides. If things go bad then we can just separate, it’s impossible for them to catch all three of us.” Billy mumbles as he appears at Trini’s side.

 

“B is right. I’ll go in from the left.” Zack offers as he pops on the opposite side of Trini, and three gazes dart over the bush.

 

“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Billy frowns.

 

“It’s an amazing idea.” Trini snorts, and Zack eagerly bobs his head in agreement as the three bump their fists together. “You two sure you’re ready for this?”

 

Zack smirks, “Couldn’t be more ready if I tried.”

 

As the three drops their fists, they trade quick glances and smiles before they pop out from behind the bush with a loud battle cry. As they run, wide eyes track their movements and watch in amazement as Zack clears a chair while Trini springs easily towards the corner lounge chairs.

 

The three hover their friends and pump their water guns causing yells of surprise to fill the air. Jason is the first to recover from shock as he rolls off the lounger before he springs forward to wrap his arms around Billy’s body, the boy yells in surprise as his gun clatters to the ground.

 

“What the hell, dude?” Jason demands as he tightens his grasp on Billy while his friend desperately tries to free himself. “Billy, would you stop moving?”

 

Tommy gasps as Zack continues to spray her and she is quick to fumble from her chair with a hand held up in a weak defense. After a few moments, she makes it to Zack only for him to deflect her reaching hands as he aims his spray of water towards her face.

 

“Zack, stop!” Tommy orders as she tackles him into the pool.

 

Just a few feet away, Trini gives a breathless giggle as her water gun finally empties and she is left to stare at her girlfriend who is sputtering on the chair with hair plastered to her face. Trini bends over with her hands on her knees as she laughs while Kimberly sweeps her hands over her face to clear away the water.

 

“What the _hell_ , Trini?” Kimberly growls as she easily sweeps a hand through her hair while her eyes narrow. “Are you seriously laughing? Do you really think this is funny? I’m soaking wet!”

 

“That’s the point, Kim.” Trini snorts.

 

“It’s not very fair that you’re standing there all dry and warm.” Kimberly points out as she stands from the lounger and steps towards the younger girl whose go wide while her laughter trails off. “Something wrong?"

 

Trini swallows hard as she catches sight of the mischievous glint in Kimberly’s eyes and the smirk that pulls at her lips. With a frantic look around, she sputters at the sight of Zack struggling to climb from the pool with Tommy on his back while Jason stands over Billy and douses him with his own water gun.

 

“Look as if you’re on your own.” Kimberly hums as she continues to her prowl towards Trini who takes a small step back. “I think you might want to start waving a white flag, babe.”

 

“Ha. _Never_.” Trini scoffs.

 

Kimberly glides towards her girlfriend and Trini immediately takes a large step back. She knows she’s screwed, she knows that her plan has royally backfired. Dark orbs jump anxiously around to her family members who watch on with amusement and laughter.

 

“Well, I think I should probably…” Trini trails off and clears her throat before she juts a thumb over her shoulder. “I think I’m just gonna go ahead and go.”

 

Trini turns and scurries off with a squeal of fear as she vanishes around the side of the house. Kimberly watches her go with a smile of adoration that turns to a hard laugh as Billy and Zack struggle by her, both boys pushing the other aside in attempt to flee.

 

“Tell me you have a plan.” Tommy huffs as she drags a hand through her soaked red locks. “We _cannot_ let them get away with that.”

 

Jason arches an eyebrow, “Do we even stand a chance?”

 

“Probably not. They’re too smart, and they have Billy.” Kimberly sighs before she leans down to scoop up a yellow water gun. “But we do have their water guns which means we’re at an advantage, we can’t let them think this is okay.”

 

“It’s not like they were starting a war.” Jason chuckles as he shakes his wet locks out and wiggles a finger in his ear. “They were only having fun, Kim.”

 

“No, we have to get revenge.” Kimberly scoffs as she looks to Jason who simply shrugs in response. “There’s no way I’m letting Trini think she can just throw water at me and not face any consequences.”

 

“That’ah girl.” Tommy hums. “Let’s do this.”

 

-

 

“We’re dead. Do you realize what we’ve just done? We’re _done_.” Billy mumbles as he paces the length of the living room with his hands on his hips. “That was such a bad idea, Trini. Why did we do that?”

 

“Kim is plotting my death, I could see it in her eyes.” Trini sighs as she crosses her arms over chest and nibbles at her lower lip. “Fuck. What are we going to do? I clearly didn’t think this one through.”

 

“Tommy was so mad that she was slapping me in places that I never even realized could hurt so badly.” Zack huffs as he rubs at his side before he glances anxiously towards the patio doors. “What are we going to do?”

 

“What is there _to_ do? They have all of our guns, dude.” Trini points out as she tosses her hands up and glances to her defeated friends. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do now. We’re fucked. Unless…”

 

Trini stands suddenly and darts towards the kitchen, and after a moment Billy and Zack follow. As they turn the corner, both boys have to hold back their laughter as they watch their tiny teammate crawl onto the counter before she begins to rummage through the cabinet before she hisses in happiness and turns to reveal a bag of water balloons.

 

“What are you three doing now?” June demands as she walks into the kitchen in time to see Trini slide off the counter. “Why do you have water balloons, Trinity?”

 

“You saw the horror show out there, Mami. We don’t have a choice. They have our guns and we need to make sure we can protect ourselves.” Trini declares as she clutches protectively at her balloons.

 

“Alright, you three,” June chuckles as she waves them off. “Have at it.”

 

The trio once again darts from the space as they hurry to the backyard to plan their next move. Trini is the first to finish filling her balloons and she turns to watch as Zack and Billy struggle to tie their own while they trade laughs and excited chatter.

 

After a few minutes, the package of balloons is empty and their waiting ammunition is resting at their feet. With nervous glances, the trio scoot towards the tree on the side of the house. The silence is almost unnerving, and Trini can hear her racing heartbeat; she knows Kimberly, there is no way the older girl is going to let her get away with the little water fight she has started.

 

They can hear the party continue on without them and Zack sighs as he falls back against the tree. Billy is the first to straighten when he hears a twig snap, and the other two follow in example as they look around. Before they can process anything, they find themselves covered in water and they can hear twinkling giggles and loud, wet high-fives.

 

“What the heck?” Billy demands as he wipes his eyes and sees Trini’s little brothers watching them with wide eyes. “Aw, man. How could you guys do that?”

 

“Kimmy said to.” Mateo shrugs.

 

“Are you serious? My girlfriend used my own little brothers against us? She’s the _worst_.” Trini complains as she ruffles her dark locks. “I can’t believe she actually managed to convince Mateo and Alec to turn against me.”

 

“Do you not remember who she’s dating? She learned from the best.” Zack hisses. “The real question is why them? What exactly are they planning?”

 

“This!”

 

Three voices fill the air and suddenly another wave of water is thrust upon them. Zack backs himself against a tree with his hands in front of himself, but Tommy just smirks and continues to pump the water gun until the boy hits his knees with a cry.

 

Beside him, Jason laughs as he steps closer to Billy who has long past given up and is curled in a fetal position at his feet. Kimberly giggles as she sees Trini attempt to dodge the icy blasts of water, and Kimberly is too distracted to notice her girlfriend grab a hold of something; that is until the pink water balloon makes contact with her stomach and all hell breaks loose.

 

Water balloons begin to fly through the air as water fills the space between each throw. In the Gomez yard, in front of the wondering eyes of Angel Grove, the six teens allow the stress of their lives to leave them as they chase each other around with pink cheeks and aching ribs brought on by their laughter.

 

Trini manages to escape from the cluster, but Kimberly is quick to follow. She barely makes it to the opposite side of the lawn before she is wrapped in a tight embrace and carried off to the side. Trini laughs as she finds herself pressed against the warm brick of her house before the cold muzzle of a green water gun settles against her chest.

 

“Surrender?” Kimberly demands.

 

“You wish, princess.” Trini snorts and Kimberly simply narrows her eyes as she presses the gun a little harder into the dip of her breast. “I won’t go down without a fight.”

 

Kimberly stares at her for a long moment before she drops the gun and steps into her girlfriend’s space, Trini barely gets a sound out before lips are on her own. Just like a flip of a switch, Trini short circuits at the taste of strawberry lip gloss and something that is purely Kimberly.

 

“That’s not fair.” Trini whines as she pulls away from the kiss and drags a gentle kiss over her girlfriend’s cheek. “Your kisses aren’t going to be my downfall.”

 

“I don’t believe you.” Kimberly laughs as she sweeps Trini into another kiss, and a moan of satisfaction burns in her throat as Trini presses closer to her. “You sure my kisses won’t make you surrender?”

 

“You fight dirty, princess.” Trini growls as she drops her head back against the house while smiling lips dance over the steady thump of her pulse. “You’re totally cheating, I hope you know that.”

 

“Do you surrender?” Kimberly asks in a soft whisper, the girl draws away slightly so she can lock her gaze with her girlfriend’s in time to catch the glare she is offered. “Are you admitting defeat?”

 

“Eat your heart out.” Trini snaps, but she quickly melts and reaches up to smooth a thumb over the pout Kimberly gives her. “Hey, no fair. No pouting allowed.”

 

“Tell me I won.” Kimberly orders.

 

“Babe, why would I tell you something you already know?” Trini demands with a roll of her eyes, but a smile plays at her lips when Kimberly squeaks. “Just remember you won this battle, boo. Not the war.”

 

“You’re so cute.” Kimberly grins.

 

“Hey, I am not _cute_. I’m a total badass.” Trini declares with a huff.

 

“My girlfriend is such a dork.” Kimberly hums as she drops their foreheads together while her grasp loosens around her water gun. “I love you. Even if you started a water war.”

 

“Lucky me. I still don’t know why you put up with me, you’re way too good to me.” Trini teases as she pulls away to drop her head against Kimberly’s shoulder.

 

“Wait. Babe, what do you mean you don’t know why I put up with you?” Kimberly scoffs as she tilts Trini’s head back up and cleans the line of pink from below her eye.

 

“I just don’t get why you put up with me sometimes, y’know?” Trini shrugs as she forces a laugh while a blush colors her cheeks. “It’s stupid. I didn’t mean to ruin our moment or anything. It just slipped out.”

 

“I don’t think it’s stupid.” Kimberly frowns as she ducks her head to press a soft kiss to Trini’s lips. “I, as you so lovingly put it, put up with you because you make me happy. I am the happiest I have ever been.”

 

“Ditto.” Trini hums as she curls her arms around Kimberly while her girlfriend rests her chin on her head. “Before you came along, I felt like my life was just a blur but being with you has taught me to slow down and enjoy the smallest moments.”

 

Kimberly sighs as she turns her head to press her lips against wet locks, “You don’t realize how much I really love you.”

 

“I love you, too.” Trini grins as she pulls back and tips her head so Kimberly can kiss her, but their moment is shattered as they hear Billy squeal. “We should probably go make sure our friends aren’t killing each other.”

 

“Or we could stay here.” Kimberly suggests even as she pulls away, and she is quick to cringe as Zack yells loudly. “I guess you’re right, God knows what Tommy is doing to Billy and Zack right now.”

 

With a sigh, Kimberly pinches Trini’s chin between her fingers before she guides her head up so she can steal a kiss. Trini immediately settles into the kiss, and she feels like she could take on anything so long as Kimberly is beside her. When Kimberly kisses her like this, Trini swears the world is hers to have and to hold.

 

And fuck if she ever lets go of it or this girl.


	4. take my advice (i won't tell you twice)

**Prompt: Jason makes Billy promise not to tell Zach that Trini and Kim are already dating because Zach is hilariously unsubtle in his attempts to set Trini and Kim up on a date. Zach even calls himself "The Ultimate Wingman"**

 

* * *

 

 

“I don’t understand why we can’t tell him about them.” Billy frowns as he trails behind Jason. “Doesn’t Trini and Kimberly want _all_ of us to know?”

  
“Yeah, but it’ll be funny not to tell him just yet.” Jason explains as he pauses at his locker. “Trini and Kim said that they’ll tell him this weekend at our movie night.”

  
Billy furrows his brow, “And I can’t say anything to him?”

  
“Not a word.” Jason smirks. “Promise?”

  
“Promise.” Billy nods.

  
-

  
“Kim, a little harder with your uppercut.”

  
Kimberly rolls her eyes at Jason’s order but follows it without question. The five teens let out soft grunts and (in Zack’s case) loud, dramatic war cries as they practice with Alpha 5 and the fake putties. Eventually, the exhaustion hits them and Jason can see that he has gotten the best he’ll get for now. All at once, the teens clamber for their water bottles and Zack watches as Trini offers hers to Kimberly.

  
“Hey, you never share with me.” Zack huffs.

  
Trini flashes him a look, “That’s because you’re you and Kim is Kim.”

  
“Interesting.” Zack nods as he guzzles his water before he wipes the back his hand over his mouth. “So, how do I get on the level of being Kim?”

  
“You don’t.” Trini snorts.

  
Zack pouts as he looks between them before he glances at his friends, “I want what you guys have. Jason, share your water bottle with me!”

  
“Like hell, dude.” Jason chuckles as he finishes the last of his water before he tosses the red bottle aside. “Alright. Thirty minutes of putty fighting and then we’ll call it a day.”

  
Trini nods as she accepts her water bottle back from Kimberly, with a wink the older girl steps away and morphs. The other four follow her lead, and Zack makes it a point to fight alongside Trini as he watches the way she flashes Kimberly small glances every few minutes.

  
“So, you like Kim?”

  
Trini looks his way and puts her fist through a putty’s gut, “I don’t think now is the best time to talk about this, Z. I’m kinda in the middle of something.”

  
“Oh come on.” Zack whines as he rolls away from a fist. “Now is the best time to talk about it! Everyone is distracted. So, tell me your plan.”

  
“Plan?” Trini scoffs.

  
“To woo Kim!” Zack chirps as he slams his foot into the knee of a putty before adding a hard knee. “I mean, there has to be some kind of plan, right?”

  
Trini doesn’t look away from him as she slams her fist into a putty, “No. No there does not.”

  
“But…”

  
“I said no.” Trini grumbles.

  
Zach sighs as Trini dives into a battle between a putty and Kimberly. His eyes narrow behind the safety of his mask as he sees how well Trini and Kimberly bounce off each other and move with ease. He is only shaken from his staring when he takes a hard kick to the gut.

  
-

  
“Is it wrong that we’re hiding this from him? I mean, we told Billy and Jason.” Kimberly frowns as she looks across the table. “We should just tell him.”

  
“But it’s so fun to torture him.” Trini huffs as she stabs a fork into their slice of their strawberry cake. “You should’ve saw his face when I told him that I didn’t want him to help me woo you.”

  
“If only he knew that _I_ was the one who did the wooing.” Kimberly teases as she waves her fork playfully towards Trini. “You were too busy trying to climb up cave walls to avoid me.”

  
“You kissed me when I least expected it. You played dirty.” Trini whines as she snaps her fork against Kimberly’s. “I panicked, alright?”

  
“I thought it was cute.” Kimberly assures her as she moves to grab the last bite on the plate, but a fork quickly intercepts her. “I don’t think _this_ is cute though.”

  
“What are you talking about?” Trini purrs as she slides the bite towards herself. “This is our thing. It’s _adorable_.”

  
Kimberly rolls her eyes and lets her girlfriend take the last bite.

  
-

  
“Don’t you think Trini and Kim would make an awesome couple?” Zack asks as he sets his putter over his shoulder. “I think they’d really balance each other out.”

  
Jason smirks as he takes a shot and watches the golf ball soar through the open air, “I agree, but the last thing I want to do is meddle in their business.”

  
“Dude, I’ve been meddling for _weeks_. I’ve been giving Trini all kinds of advice.” Zack shrugs as he readies his own shot. “I think she might be ready to grow a pair and ask Kimberly out.”

  
“And what makes you say that?”

  
Zack balances himself as he looks out at the the field where Billy is digging through different rocks, “She stopped blushing anytime I mention Kim, and they’ve definitely been hanging out more.”

  
“And what makes you so sure Trini even has a thing for Kim?” Jason demands as he leans his weight on his putter.

  
“Trini told me ages ago.” Zack scoffs as he finally takes his shot before he looks back at Jason with a bright smile. “I’m totally T’s ultimate wingman.”

  
“Wingman?” Jason repeats.

  
“Yeah. I give her advice and make sure she stays confident. It’s a hard job, but somebody’s gotta do it.” Zack sighs. “All I need to do is figure out if Kim likes Trini.”

  
“And how do you plan on doing that?”

  
“Easy. A little jealousy always brings the truth out of people.” Zack smirks as he holds up his hand in time to catch the ball Billy throws his way.

  
Jason frowns nervously, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea…”

  
“Oh please,” Zack snorts. “What’s the worse that could happen?”

  
“Famous last words, dude.”

  
-

  
Zack keeps a close eye on his friends as they sit together at lunch; he loves this, being with them. They’re all so happy, and he glances to Trini to notice her lopsided smile. He loves how happy she’s become, he has watched slowly as she has come so far from the girl who forced herself to be invisible. Now, he has learned that she barely ever shuts up; and that she was entirely infatuated by Kimberly.

  
“Kim, doesn’t Trini look hot?” Zack blurts out, and four gazes snap to him. “I really like that shirt, T.”

  
Trini watches him with a frown, “Thanks.”

  
“Has anyone ever told you you’re beautiful? Because you are.” Zack grins, and he throws a quick look to Kimberly who stares on in confusion. “I bet you’d love my cousin, you should meet her. She’s just like me.”

  
“I’d rather punch myself in the throat, Z. Sorry.” Trini snorts as she arches an eyebrow at him. “Are you feeling okay today?”

  
“I’m great.” Zack assures her.

  
“You sure?” Kimberly demands

  
Zack perks up at the harsh tone Kimberly uses, “Oh yeah, totally. I was just thinking that my cousin and Trini would make a _really_ cute couple.”

  
“Uh…”

  
“I doubt Trini has time to date.” Kimberly cuts in with a scowl. “We all have our plates full with training, school, and keeping the world from ending.”

  
“You don’t think you can squeeze a little date in?” Zack frowns as he pouts his lower lip. “I’ve told Lena about you, and she said she was interested.”

  
The creak of wood catches his attention and Zack glances to Kimberly in time to watch as Billy grabs her hand to keep her from doing anymore damage to the table. A thrill of satisfaction rolls through him as he flashes Trini a quick wink, but all he gets in return is a wide eyed expression.

  
“Trini, we have that Biology homework to finish.” Kimberly grumbles as she stands to grab her bag. “Come on, we can go finish it in the library.”

  
Trini shrugs and stands, “Let’s go.”

  
Zack beams as the girls slip from the table and out of the cafeteria. He has to keep from squealing like a girl as he watches Billy struggle to put the table together while Jason chews his hamburger and shakes his head in amusement.

  
“Wanna know something hilarious?” Zack hums, and a laugh bubbles in his throat as Jason and Billy look to him. “I don’t even have a cousin named Lena.”

  
Billy shakes his head and gives up on the table, “That’s messed up, man.”

  
“Yeah.” Zack nods. “But it worked!”

  
-

  
“I was thinking that we should tell Zack.”

  
Kimberly looks up from her textbook to watch as Trini twists a strand of hair around her finger, “Yeah?”

  
“He’s been trying so hard to set us up, and he has a right to know. I feel bad about fucking with him like this.” Trini admits as she meets Kimberly’s gaze. “Wanna tell him tomorrow?”

  
“If that’s what you want.” Kimberly shrugs as she playfully tosses a pencil towards Trini who easily catches it. “I wanted to tell him when we told Jason and Billy.”

  
“Yeah, yeah,” Trini mumbles as she rolls her eyes, the younger girl pushes her books off her lap and moves to kneel. “So, are you done studying?”

  
Kimberly arches an eyebrow as Trini begins to crawl towards her, “Well, I wasn’t but I think I can be persuaded.”

  
“Oh?” Trini hums as she pulls Kimberly’s books away and swings a leg to straddle her waist. “And how can I do that?”

  
“Well, this is definitely a good start.” Kimberly assures her as she slowly sits up and allows Trini to get comfortable in her lap. “Got anything else?”

  
Trini laughs softly and ducks her head to brush her lips over the shell of Kimberly’s ear, “I have a few other tricks up my sleeve…”

  
Kimberly simply turns her head and captures Trini’s lips with her own; Zack is all but forgotten as Trini shows Kimberly just how many tricks she has.

  
-

  
Zack gives a cry of excitement as he plunges into the water and swims his way through the wall of the spaceship. He knows he’s late for training, but he figures Jason can excuse him for taking a small nap; things had been a little intense in his house lately, and his exhaustion had definitely taken over.

  
With a sweep of his hand, Zack clears off the small residue of water as he walks towards their training room. Just as he steps through the threshold, his feet skid to a stop as he watches Trini tilt her head up to press a soft kiss to Kimberly’s lips.

  
“Hey!”

  
Trini stumbles back and looks wide eyes towards Zack while Kimberly simply arches an eyebrow. For a moment, he simply stands there before he jumps up in excitement and pumps a fist. With a shake of her head, Kimberly curls her arms around Trini’s waist and ducks her head to rest on her small shoulder.

  
“So, my advice worked?” Zack beams.

  
“What? No.” Trini snorts as she glances up at a grinning Kimberly. “Kim and I have been dating for about three and a half weeks, Zack.”

  
“Wait…” Zack scowls as he looks between his friends and sees their looks of utter amusement. “Are you telling me that you’ve been dating this entire time?”

  
“Yep.” Trini chirps.

  
“So, I used my wingman skills for _nothing_? All that free advice was wasted?” Zack whines as he crosses his arms over his chest. “That’s just cruel, crazy girl. I thought I was helping you.”

  
“You did.” Trini shrugs, and Zack perks up in excitement.

  
Zack looks to Jason and Billy with a smug smirk, “Told you guys I was an awesome wingman. See what happens when you doubt me?”

  
“Sure, man. Whatever you say.” Jason laughs as he nods his head. “Alright, team. Let’s get back to training.”

  
They jump straight into the order and all five teens are on their A game as they dodge rock arms and legs. Zack takes a hit to the stomach that winds him, but he doesn’t complain; he’s too busy smiling and watching the way Trini and Kimberly look at each other. He gives himself a mental pat on the back, his wingman skills really came through.


	5. hold on, i still want you

**Prompt: Kim slowly gaining her popularity back bc ever since she changed and starting being nicer to people, the general population likes her more than Amanda. So Trini is worried that she'll leave them once she's accepted again, but Kim proves that this is not the case obviously and that she'd rather be outcasts with the team than popular without them. Sorry if this doesn't make much sense. I love your writing.**

 

* * *

 

 

After Angel Grove is destroyed, Kimberly finds that the community comes together slowly but surely to fix their little hometown. Along with that, people start to forgive. She doesn’t feel so bad walking through town because people greet her with smiles instead of scowls. She starts holding her head higher in the hallways because everyone has stopped whispering about her. And she gains back friends who were too afraid to speak to her, afraid that they’d lose their popularity much like she did.

  
Slowly but surely, like their little town, Kimberly rebuilds. Remodels. But there has been so many great changes that she finds it a little hard to be overly happy about her slow rise to popularity. The best change she has made is the girl that walks through the halls on Kimberly’s arm. The same girl who spent so long shoved in the background that it makes Kimberly a little sad how much time she missed. How many kisses did she lose? How many laughs and smiles did she miss out on? How many I love you’s did so go without?

  
“…and then I blew it up.”

  
Kimberly shakes herself from her thoughts as she looks to where Billy is organizing his lunch, “You blew it up?”

  
“How else was I supposed to get rid of it? It was taking over our back porch.” Billy huffs as he looks up at her. “You should’ve seen how big the nest was.”

  
“I can only imagine.” Kimberly laughs before her entire demeanor changes as she sees a familiar smile approach. “Hey, you. Where have you been?”

  
“Mr. Green kept droning on about our project so we were literally just freed from his nerdy clutches.” Trini grumbles as she plops down beside Kimberly.

  
“Hamlet?” Kimberly asks, and Trini pouts with a nod. “Mm, yeah. I’ve heard about how crazy he can get. Good luck.”

  
“Well, thankfully my girlfriend is a literature nerd so I’ll just force her to help me.” Trini smirks as she turns her head and glances up through thick lashes. “Right?”

  
“Of course.” Kimberly smiles as she begins to lean forward.

  
“Kim!”

  
Kimberly startles and glances up to see Jessica Andrews walking towards her, “Uh, hey. What’s up, Jess?”

  
“Please tell me you’re free tonight.”

  
“Uh…”

  
“I am having a fashion crisis and you’re like the best thrift shopper I know.” Jessica whines. “I promise I’ll buy you coffee afterwards.”

  
Kimberly finds herself nodding, “Sure.”

  
“You are a lifesaver!” Jessica squeals.

  
“She is _insane_.” Kimberly laughs as the blonde blows her a kiss and rushes away from the table. “Great. An entire evening with her craziness.”

  
“We have to train tonight.” Billy pipes in.

  
“I think we can skip out on one training session.” Kimberly scoffs as she pops her chip bag open.

  
“ _We_?” Billy frowns.

  
“Trini and I.” Kimberly shrugs.

  
Trini looks at her with wide eyes, “Why would I miss training?”

  
“I was going to ditch Jess after the thrift store and take you out for dinner.” Kimberly replies as she looks to Trini. “I mean, unless you don’t want to…?”

  
“No. I’m just…surprised.” Trini admits, and her eyes quickly drop to the table as Kimberly frowns. “I just didn’t know if you’d want me around your friends.”

  
“What?” Kimberly laughs.

  
“They’re popular.” Trini murmurs. “I’m not.”

  
“So? You’re my girlfriend.” Kimberly reminds her with a slight teasing in her voice. “If I go somewhere, I’m taking my lady with me.”

  
“Yeah?” Trini smiles as she turns her head.

  
“Of course.” Kimberly whispers as she leans forward to rest their lips together. “I hope you know you matter more.”

  
“I know now.” Trini whispers.

  
-

  
Three weeks later, Trini doesn’t know if Kimberly really believes what she said that day in the cafeteria. Of course she is still an amazing girlfriend, but she distances herself little by little from their band of misfits. It starts with skipped movie nights, then a few forgotten family dinners, and eventually training becomes an afterthought. Trini is worried, she feels like Kimberly is slipping away and she doesn’t know how much longer she can hold on.

  
They’re training on a Thursday and Trini lets all her worries get the best of her while she's fighting. Her punches are weaker, her kicks are avoided, and one too many fake putties take her out with ease. She is so used to having Kimberly at her back that she sometimes she forgets that right now she is on her own. It isn’t till she is thrown against a wall that she snaps back to reality. The pain radiates through her body and the boys surround her with worry on their faces as they look her over.

  
“You’re bleeding.” Jason frowns as he looks at the two deep cuts on her shoulder and forehead. “I’m going to go get the first aid kit and patch you up.”

  
Zack watches as Jason hurries off with Billy at his heels, “Alright. Talk to me, crazy girl. You’re fighting like your head is a million miles in the clouds.”

  
“I’m _fine_ , Zack.” Trini snaps as she attempts to sit up only to stumble back as her head spins. “Shit. Okay, so I’m not fine. But I’m fine in other aspects.”

  
“Yes you are.” Zack smirks.

  
Trini finally cracks a smile as she rolls her eyes, “Now is not the time for you to be hitting on me.”

  
“Better me hitting on you than you hitting a _wall_.” Zack shrugs. “So, are you going to tell me what’s up?”

  
“Maybe you can tell us all what’s up.” Jason suggests as he walks back towards them with the first aid kit. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you lose focus like that.”

  
“I’ve got a lot on my mind…”

  
“You mean you have Kim on your mind? I think that’s what she means.” Billy chirps as he pops the first aid kit open. “You seem…sad.”

  
“I’m not sad.” Trini assures him with a wince as Jason presses a layer of gauze to her forehead. “I’m just confused. Kim said that…it just seems like she’s changed since everyone forgave her.”

  
“Have you maybe tried talking to her about it?” Jason asks as he accepts the alcohol pad Billy holds out.

  
“She’s so _happy_.” Trini mumbles before she tenses at the sting of alcohol. “I want her to be happy. No matter what. And having all of her old friends back makes her smile, and she seems so much lighter. It’d be fucked up for me to tell her that I’m upset about it.”

  
“Kim isn’t our friend anymore?” Billy demands.

  
“No. She’s still our friend.” Jason assures him with a small smile. “She just has a lot going on, she just needs someone to pull her head from her ass.”

  
Zack snorts as he works on putting bandaids on Trini’s shoulder, “What about you, jockstrap? You ever miss that part of your life?”

  
“Sometimes I do.” Jason admits with a slow nod. “But I know I belong with you guys, being a part of this little family is a part of my destiny. All of those people will disappear from my life as time goes on, but you guys are here to stay.”

  
Trini smiles at the boy, “I hope Kim sees it that way some day.”

  
-

  
Kimberly throws her head back and laughs at her friends’ as they walk out of the freshly built Krispy Kreme. Her attention is so focused on whatever Gillian Baker is saying that she barely hears Jessica mention Jason’s name; it isn’t till she looks up to see him leaning against the building across the street that she offers him a smile and wave that he doesn’t return.

  
“What’s _his_ issue?” Jessica sneers.

  
“Not sure, guess I should go find out. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Kimberly smiles, and she is quick to cross the street and pause before her friend. “Hey, Jace.”

  
“You missed training. Again.” Jason frowns as he crosses his arms over his chest. “I think that’s the fifth training session you’ve missed, Kim.”

  
“I’m sorry. Harper invited us out to…”

  
“Trini got hurt.”

  
The words are like ice being thrown at her, and she stares at him for a long moment to search for answers. It takes her a moment to notice the small speckles of blood on his t-shirt and she feels the air disappear around her; it’s the same feeling she got after Trini was attacked by Rita, the same ache she felt during their near death experience.

  
“Is she okay?” Kimberly demands.

  
Jason drops his arms slowly, “I mean, it wasn’t life threatening but I guess her mom took her to the hospital to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion.”

  
“Why didn’t anyone call me?”

  
“Trini didn’t want to bother you.” Jason replies. “She knew you were out with your friends, and she didn’t want you to have to drop everything for her.”

  
“What?” Kimberly scoffs. “She knows I would.”

  
“Would you?”

  
Kimberly jerks back at his tone and her grip tightens subtly on her coffee cup, “What are you trying to say?”

  
“Look, I’m not trying to be an ass,” Jason sighs. “But it kills me seeing any of you upset, and Trini is really confused on where she fits in your life.”

  
“What?”

  
Kimberly feels her heart break at his words, she was so sure Trini knew exactly where she fit. She fit in the _center_ of Kimberly’s world, she was Kimberly’s anchor. With a shudder of a breath, her grasp finally broke through the plastic of her drink and she barely registered the burning of the coffee as it dripped down her hand.

  
“Kim?”

  
Kimberly shakes her head and backs away from him, “I need to go see Trini. I’m…thank you, Jace.”

  
-

  
By the time Trini finally gets home from the hospital, her entire body is throbbing. Her mother is gentle with her, and for a little while Trini revels in it. But then the questions start and Trini mumbles something about a shower before she disappears and slips into her bathroom. The hot water pounds down on her and the steam seems to clear her mind as she presses her hands to the wall and allows her head to drop forward. She stays until the tap turns cold and she is quick to slip out and into a fluffy towel before she patters off to her bedroom.

  
All she wants right now is her Batman pajamas and Golden Girls; the idea of a night by herself brings an odd sensation to her. She hasn’t had a night alone since they had found their coins that fateful night. With a sigh, Trini slips into her room and is a second away from dropping her towel before she hears someone clear their throat. A small squeak leaves her as she clutches her towel to herself and turns to see Kimberly sitting on the edge of her bed with wide eyes.

  
“What are you doing here?” Trini demands.

  
“Well, I found out my girlfriend was hurt so I wanted to come over and make sure she was okay.” Kimberly replies as she presses a hand over her eyes. “You can change.”

  
Trini smiles softly and rolls her eyes as she sees Kimberly make a show of peeking through her fingers, “Turn around.”

  
“I won’t look…”

  
“Turn around.” Trini repeats.

  
A swell of adoration bubbles deep in Trini’s stomach at Kimberly’s pout before she does as she was ordered. Trini dresses quickly and tosses her towel in her laundry basket before she moves to crawl onto her bed. As soon as her body makes contact with the mattress, a hiss of pain escapes her and Kimberly turns to face her with wide, worried eyes.

  
“What happened?” Kimberly whispers.

  
Trini shifts on the bed and scowls, “You’d know if you actually showed up for training now and then.”

  
“I deserve that.” Kimberly murmurs as she reaches out to sweep a strand of hair from Trini’s face. “I’m sorry, babe.”

  
“I’d say it’s fine, but I would be lying.” Trini mumbles as she turns her head subtly into the touch. “Billy asked us if you were still our friend.”

  
“What? Of course I am.” Kimberly scoffs as she drops her hand from Trini’s face. “God. Am I not allowed to have friends outside of our group? Am I only limited to talking to the four of you?”

  
Trini is calm as she arches an eyebrow at her girlfriend, “I don’t recall ever expressing my dislike towards you having other friends. It’s _your_ life, Kim. Nobody can tell you what to do.”

  
“Well, it feels like you guys want me to choose…”

  
“I don’t want you to choose.” Trini cuts in as she narrows her eyes. “I just wish you’d learn how to balance it all, I wish you’d see how much the boys miss you. I wish you’d see how much _I_ miss you.”

  
Kimberly softens, “You miss me?”

  
“Always.” Trini shrugs. “I know you’re building old friendships back, but we still exist. The four of us, we were the ones who didn’t judge you. We didn’t outcast you for one stupid mistake.”

  
“I just…”

  
“You don’t have to explain yourself. I understand. You had a completely different life before we became Rangers.” Trini shrugs. “And I understand that you miss that part of your life, and I would never ask you to just walk away from that again. I want you to be happy.”

  
Kimberly is silent for a long moment before her brow furrows, “Being a Power Ranger makes me happy. Billy’s excitement makes me happy. Zack’s enthusiasm for life makes me happy. Jason’s optimism makes me happy. _You_ make me happy.”

  
“But so do they.” Trini whispers.

  
“No, they made the old me happy…and I’m not sure I can even call the old me happy. I was safe, feared.” Kimberly frowns. “It’s different with you guys, especially you. I am so happy when I’m with you guys.”

  
Trini tries to smother her yawn, “We’re happy when you’re with us too. But mostly me. I’m the happiest.”

  
“Of course.” Kimberly snorts, and Trini sees the way she scans her over. “You look exhausted, you should get some sleep.”

  
“Stay.” Trini orders.

  
Kimberly gives her that smile that melts her heart and kicks off her shoes before she joins Trini under the covers. Trini snuggles into her girlfriend and listens to steady thud of her heartbeat while gentle fingers pull through her damp locks and slowly lull her to sleep.

  
“I’d choose you, y’know?”

  
Trini blinks sleepily, “Hm?”

  
“If you made me choose,” Kimberly whispers as she ducks her head to press her lips to Trini’s dark locks. “I’d choose you, without a second thought.”

  
Trini falls asleep with a smile on her face, and holds onto the knowledge that the Kimberly wants Trini as much as Trini wants her.

  
-

  
Kimberly walks into the cafeteria and glances around the crowded room. She sees most of her friends crowded at a table across the room, and she can hear their booming laughter as they all stand over one of the football player’s and stare down at his phone; she has no doubt they’re watching some video of a freshmen being tortured by one of them.

  
A smile pulls at her lips as she targets her gaze at the table in the back corner. Billy is fiddling with something, his brows are furrowed and his lunch is all but forgotten. Jason is switching between reading a book and stuffing the school’s mystery meat in his face. Zack is doodling on a notebook and eating a slice of pizza. And Trini is watching Billy with a fond smile while she eats her celery. Her friends, her family, look so happy and she’s never wanted to be somewhere so badly.

  
“Kim!” Harper calls.

  
Kimberly looks to her and she spares the dozens of gazes on her a smile before she crosses the cafeteria and slides into the empty seat beside Trini. She can feel the eyes on her, but all she cares about is the beam that lights up Trini’s face while the boys flash her knowing looks; it’s all that matters to her.

  
“Hi.” Trini hums.

  
Kimberly sighs adoringly and leans forward to press a soft kiss to smiling lips, “Hi, gorgeous. Miss me?”

  
Trini shrugs with a smug expression, “Always. Did you miss me?”

  
“Always.” Kimberly mocks.

  
As she sits with the four most important people in her world, she has never felt more right. She knows where she belongs, right here with the people that feel like home.


	6. lucky i'm in love with my best friend

**Prompt: Trini has to cancel a date to watch her brothers and Kim comes over to babysit too and they are Domestic to the max**

 

* * *

 

 

“I’m sorry, Trinity.” June sighs, and Trini rolls her eyes at her full name. “Your father and I rarely get a night to ourselves, and the boys are too young to stay home by themselves.”

  
“I made these plans with Kim two weeks ago!” Trini exclaims as she throws her arms up in annoyance.

  
June glances at her daughter and arches an eyebrow, “I’m sure you can reschedule your outing with your… _friend_.”

  
Trini flinches at how easily her mother dodges calling Kimberly her girlfriend; Trini has been out to her parents for four months, and her mother still hasn’t accepted it. With a hard sigh, Trini watches her mother and wonders how they grew so far apart; she used to cry when her mother so much as went to the grocery store, and now they’re a million miles apart.

  
“You’re unbelievable.” Trini mumbles.

  
She doesn’t stick around to hear what her mom has to say, she isn’t in the mood for another lecture. Instead she sulks off to her room and grabs her phone to cancel her date with Kimberly. Of course she’s bummed they’ll be missing out on their movie, but her little brothers are a huge part of her heart and an evening with them doesn’t sound half bad.

  
“Trini, mami says you’re staying home and playing with us!” Alec exclaims as he races into his sister’s room. “Will you play superheroes with us? I’ll let you borrow my cape and mask!”

  
Trini smiles and moves to ruffle her brother’s soft hair, “Superheroes sounds like a great idea. Go grab Mateo and your cape.”

  
Alec leaves with a whoop and Trini laughs; maybe a night with them is worth missing out on date night.

  
-

  
“Blast off!”

  
Trini laughs as she watches her six-year-old brother rush through the living room with a cape on his shoulders and messy curls piled on his head. With a loud yell, Mateo crosses the room only to stumble over his footing and land with a hard thud that brought a belly laugh from his twin who bounced on the couch cushions.

  
“Man down! I repeat, we have a man down! Captain Trini to the rescue!” Trini exclaims as she moves to scoop her little brother into her arms. “Are you okay, bud? You fell pretty hard.”

  
“S’okay. Not a single ouchie.” Mateo shrugs as he turns his head to press a wet kiss to his sister’s cheek.

  
The sound of the doorbell causes Trini to frown as she sets Mateo back on his feet and watches him as he moves to throw himself over the couch arm. With a shake of her head, Trini leaves the comfort of the living room and hurries to pull the front door open. All at once, her eyes go wide before she quickly slams the door.

  
“Babe?”

  
“What are you doing here?” Trini demands as she presses her back to the door. “Did you get my text?”

  
A soft laugh sounds from the opposite side of the door, “I did. I thought I could come over and help with the boys. We haven’t really had a chance to hang out lately, and I miss you.”

  
Trini fights her smile as she reaches up to pull off her mask before she turns to open the door once more. Kimberly flashes her a smile that sends a flutter of butterflies through her before she steps into the house and drops a quick kiss to her girlfriend’s messy dark locks. Trini sighs softly as she watches Kimberly strip from her jacket; she constantly wonders how someone like her ended up with someone as good as Kimberly Hart.

  
“You took off your mask,” Kimberly notes as she steps into Trini’s space. “I’ve gotta say, you make a pretty sexy superhero. I’m really liking the cape.”

  
“Oh?” Trini smirks as she arches her head while watching as Kimberly’s gaze drops to her lips. “Is it doing something for you, Hart?”

  
“Oh, totally.”

  
“Kimmy!”

  
Kimberly jumps away from Trini in time to brace herself for the two balls of energy that collide with her legs. A smile crosses her lips as she crouches down and opens her arms to the twins who eagerly pile onto her. Trini stands there with a heart so warm she’s almost afraid it’ll burn a hole straight through her chest; Kimberly was so good with the boys.

  
“Kimmy, did you come to play?” Mateo asks with a curious expression as he pulls away from her neck. “Are you gonna come help me with my puzzle?”

  
Alec huffs as he curls into Kimberly, “No! She’s gonna help me with _my_ puzzle.”

  
“How about I help _both_ of you?”

  
Both boys give a cheer as they latch onto Kimberly and begin to pull her down the hallway to their room. Trini follows behind with a small smile and she peeks into the room to watch as the boys pull out their dinosaur puzzles that Kimberly always seems to get stuck building whenever she comes over. But she never complains, she just does as the boys ask and she does it with a smile on her face.

  
“Are you going to come help?” Kimberly teases as she looks over her shoulder at her girlfriend.

  
Trini tilts her head slowly, “I was actually going to go make dinner for you nerds. Mac and cheese sound okay?”

  
“Nerds?” Kimberly repeats as she lifts her eyebrows and turns to the boys. “Did you guys hear what your sister called us? She called us _nerds_.”

  
Mateo drops his jaw in shock, “She did?”

  
“She did.” Kimberly nods with wide eyes.

  
“Tickle time?” Alec asks in a soft voice.

  
“What? No. No, it is _not_ tickle time.” Trini frowns as she backs away hesitantly. “I was only joking so you three stay exactly where you are, got it?”

  
“Tickle time!” Kimberly yells.

  
Trini squeals loudly as her little brothers clamber to their feet and run towards her with their hands out. With a burst of speed, Trini hurries through the house only to trip over one of Mateo’s toys and hit the ground with a groan. Without missing a beat, bodies pile on her and Trini goes breathless as fingers dig into her sides while Kimberly pins her legs to the floor and the boys work at her stomach.

  
“No! No more!” Trini pleads.

  
“More!” Alec and Mateo yell.

  
She isn’t sure how long she squirms, but by the time they relent she is breathless and her stomach hurts. Trini lays there and tries to catch up to reality while the boys and Kimberly trade high fives. With a glare, Trini looks to her little brothers and sees a familiar glint appear in their dark orbs.

  
“Hey, no family telepathy!” Kimberly whines before she notices them scoot closer. “Wait. No. Don’t do anything you three are going to regret…”

  
Trini smirks and launches forward, “Get her!”

  
-

  
“Five points if I make it in, right?”

  
Trini nods and Kimberly sucks in a breath as she narrows her eyes and flicks her wrist; the entire room erupts in cheers when the grape lands perfectly in Trini’s mouth. Mateo claps happily while Alec nods and shovels a spoonful of macaroni and cheese into his mouth. With a dramatic bow, Kimberly leans over to steal a kiss from her girlfriend before they go back to cleaning up the kitchen.

  
“Tree, how come you and Kimmy kiss?”

  
Trini stiffens at Alec’s innocent question and she glances to Kimberly with a frantic expression. After she came out to her parents, she was given strict orders to keep it all away from her brothers. With a nervous swallow, Trini turns to face the boys and her heart aches as she looks at the pure innocence in their gazes.

  
“Because…” Trini trails off before she sucks in a calming breath. “Because I like her. A lot. And when I kiss her, it’s just my way of showing her how much I like her.”

  
She waits, she expects another question. She expects them to tell her it’s gross, that it’s wrong. They’re so young, and Trini knows they don’t really understand but she’s scared of what her parents will do to her if they find out she told Alec and Mateo about her relationship.

  
“Oh.”

  
 _Oh_.

  
Trini blinks in awe, “Oh?”

  
“I give you, mami, and papi kisses all the time.” Mateo shrugs as he looks to his twin brother. “I do it to show you how much I like you, too.”

  
Kimberly chuckles as she wraps her arms around Trini’s waist, “Anyone ever tell you your brothers are wise beyond their little years?”

  
“No.” Trini admits as she watches the pair fling cheesy noodles at each other. “But I know they are, and now you do too.”

  
-

  
“Jammies?”

  
“Wearin’ them!”

  
“Slippers?”

  
“Got ‘em!”

  
“Awesome. Oh. Teeth?”

  
“Brushed!”

  
“Proof?” Trini demands, and she looks between the boys and watches as they flash bright smiles. “Right on. Alright, you’re good to head off to dreamland.”

  
Alec collapses back on his pillow with a yawn, “Is Kimmy gonna be here when the sun comes up?”

  
“No, mijo. She has to go home.” Trini sighs as she moves to flip on their night lights. “I love you. Goodnight.”

  
“Night, Tree!”

  
Trini smiles once more at her brothers and slips from the bedroom. She hears their whispers and she rolls her eyes when she hears them using their secret twin language. Trini lingers for a moment longer before she moves to the living room where Kimberly lays with the remote in her hand and a scowl on her face.

  
“They’re down for the count.” Trini yawns as she moves to throw herself on Kimberly who lets out a groan. “How can three hours with two six-year-olds be so fucking exhausting?”

  
“Babe, we did about a million things,” Kimberly reminds her as she shifts so Trini can get comfortable. “I’m sorry for barging in on you guys…”

  
“Don’t apologize.” Trini cuts in as she moves to hover her lips over Kimberly’s. “I think I speak for the twins too when I say I’m really glad you came.”

  
Kimberly smiles softly as she sweeps a piece of hair from Trini’s face, “I’m glad I came too.”

  
With a soft sigh, Trini lowers her head to press a lingering kiss to Kimberly’s lips. No matter how many days that pass, Trini will probably always be amazed that this amazing girl wants her of all people. And she’s going to spend every day that she has making sure Kimberly is as happy as she is.


	7. baby, green ain't your color

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm still picturing Tommy as Madelaine Petsch.

**Prompt: The green ranger joins the team (Tommy and is a girl) and likes Trini. Kimberly gets jealous.**

**A/N: This spun out of control quickly. Oops.**

 

* * *

 

 

Kimberly _hates_ Tommy Oliver. Alright, hate is a little strong but she teeters closer and closer to it every time she so much as glances in the other girl’s direction. It still amazes her that _she_ was the one who brought Tommy into their group, that she was the one who found out about their sixth teammate. But as she sits at lunch and curls her hand tighter around her apple, Kimberly knows she’d give up just about anything to go back to that fateful Thursday and leave Tommy to wonder around in confusion with her green coin.

 

“I like your jacket.”

 

A growl sits low in her throat as she watches Tommy reach across the table to tug at the sleeve of Trini’s jacket. Her gaze tracks the hand that lingers just a little too long on Trini’s wrist, and she really wants to just rip the limb off and toss it across the cafeteria. You see, Kimberly didn’t have much of a problem with Tommy up until said girl laid eyes on Trini and became a little puppy dog; it would’ve been amusing if the girl Tommy is pining over wasn’t her girlfriend.

 

“Thanks.” Trini shrugs as she pulls her arm away. “Kim bought it for me.”

 

Tommy forces a small smile as she looks to Kimberly for a split second, “Oh. Well, it’s a nice color. I guess I should’ve guessed Kim bought it, something tells me you’re not very fond of pink.”

 

Kimberly feels her anger thrum evenly beneath her skin, “I happen to think that she’s _very_ fond of pink.”

 

“I bet green would suit her better.”

 

The comment is enough to cause the apple in her hand to finally crack, and Trini looks to her with wide eyes. Kimberly forces down the comment that rests on the tip of her tongue as she gives her girlfriend a sheepish smile and accepts the napkin she is offered. She can’t deny that she gets a small thrill of satisfaction when Trini tilts her head up to press her lips against Kimberly’s; as she cups a hand around her girlfriend’s cheek, she allows Tommy to fade to the back of her mind.

 

-

 

“Hey, babe.”

 

Kimberly startles as she feels small hands curl around her hips, “Hey, where have you been? I waited for you after class.”

 

“Ran into Tommy and she wouldn’t shut up about going to some movie.” Trini mumbles, and Kimberly is quick to turn with wide eyes. “I finally just _accidentally_ pushed her into a locker...I think I dented it…”

 

“You’re going to the movies with _Tommy_?”

 

“Huh? No.” Trini scoffs as she scrunches her nose. “She seems like one of those people who talks through the movies and claps when they’re over.”

 

“ _I_ talk during movies…”

 

“Yeah, but I actually like hearing all of your little comments.” Trini replies with a roll of her eyes. “You’re my girlfriend so you doing things I find annoying is acceptable. Other people though? No. I just want to punch them really hard.”

 

Kimberly melts as she cups her girlfriend’s face, “How is it that I am dating Angel Grove’s most adorable little firecracker?”

 

“Ugh. There’s that word again.” Trini pouts.

 

“You can’t look at me like that and expect me not to find you adorable.” Kimberly smiles as she dips her head to nip playfully at Trini’s protruded lower lip. “Are you ready to head to training?”

 

“Trini, hey!”

 

The voice is like nails on a chalkboard, and Kimberly cringes as she sees Tommy’s red hair and red painted lips. Her jaw flexes in irritation and Tommy ignores her entirely as her tall frame hovers over them. With a harsh sigh, Kimberly drops her hands from Trini’s face and moves them to curl possessively around her girlfriend’s tiny frame.

 

“You practically disappeared…”

 

“Kim was waiting.” Trini shrugs.

 

Tommy finally flashes a look her way before she tilts her head, “Oh. Well, mind if I catch a ride to the mines?”

 

“Nobody is stopping you.” Trini mumbles as she shakes Kimberly’s hands off before she quickly swipes her keys from her grasp. “I have the keys so I get to drive!”

 

“Hey, get back here!” Kimberly calls, but Trini is already scrambling to where her car is parked.

 

“She’s so cute.” Tommy sighs.

 

Kimberly throws a look to the redhead only to be met with a challenging expression. So, Kimberly fixes a smile onto her face and hums in agreement before she follows in Trini’s path.

 

-

 

Kimberly opens her eyes as she feels fingers walk up the plane of her stomach. A soft laugh leaves her as she catches the hand before she pulls it to her mouth to brush a kiss over knuckles. Trini hums happily as she presses a hand to the ground beside Kimberly’s head before she leans down to brush their noses together. The world continues to spin around them, but all Kimberly can focus on is the smile on Trini’s face and the way her heart beats heavily in her chest.

 

“Alright, alright! Break it up!”

 

Trini huffs and glares up at Jason, “I’m just making sure I didn’t shatter any bones in her body. I mean, I did take her down pretty hard…”

 

Kimberly narrows her eyes before she cages Trini in her arms and easily rolls their positions. For a moment, Trini struggles before she finally gives in and just wraps herself firmly around Kimberly; the older girl can’t help but laugh at the way Trini clings to her and she stands with her girlfriend still wrapped around her. Jason chuckles at the sight before he waves them off and turns to where Billy and Tommy are currently finishing their sparring.

 

Zack smirks and eyes the pair with a look of amusement, “Crazy girl, I think I might start calling you koala girl.”

 

“Fuck off.” Trini mumbles into the crook of Kimberly’s beck.

 

“Alright. Let’s switch it up. Zack, come spar with me. Billy, you and Kim work with the putties. Trini, you and…”

 

Kimberly narrows her eyes, “I’ll spar with Tommy.”

 

“Uh,” Jason frowns and looks between the pair. “Okay. That’s fine. Trini, go ahead and join Billy.”

 

“Think he’ll notice if I just stay here? I’m quite comfortable.”

 

Kimberly smiles because she is the only who gets to hear Trini’s soft comment, she’s the only one who knows how clingy her girlfriend really is. She’s the one who knows how Trini starves for touch, a touch that isn’t one brought on by anger or disappointment. A touch that leaves her as breathless as Kimberly feels whenever Trini so much as looks her way. With a soft sigh, Trini presses a kiss to her neck before she releases her grip and swings herself into a barrel roll that that knocks Billy off his feet.

 

“Hey!” Billy whines.

 

Kimberly laughs under her breath, but the happiness fades as Tommy approaches her with a smirk. She doesn’t waste time on a greeting, she throws a kick that Tommy easily dodges before Kimberly catches the fist that comes her way. The two lose themselves in their fight, and both don’t bother holding back as they move sloppily around each other. A hum catches Kimberly’s attention as she picks herself up, and she follows Tommy’s line of sight to where she is watching the way Trini moves gracefully alongside Billy.

 

“Damn. Those yoga pants.”

 

A hiss escapes as Kimberly lifts herself and charges at her teammate. Once again, kicks and punches are thrown up until Kimberly gets a hold of Tommy and pins her with an easy back roll. She expects Tommy to give up, the boys always do after that move, but the girl pops back up with an arched eyebrow and a glint in her orbs. This time, she can feel the anger that is thrown in all of Tommy’s hits and Kimberly furrows her brow in an attempt to avoid all of them.

 

“She’s got a beautiful smile, right?”

 

Kimberly ignores her. She won’t let Tommy distract her with the stupid comments. She pushes aside all the other compliments Tommy offhandedly throws at Trini. Kimberly drops to her hands and swings a leg to catch Tommy off guard, but the girl barely stumbles as she jumps over the limb and gives a sigh of boredom. With a growl, Kimberly pops back up and repositions herself in her fighting stance.

 

“I bet she’s a firecracker in bed.”

 

That single comment is the one that pushes Kimberly over the edge, and she doesn’t feel a single wave of remorse as she grabs a hold of Tommy and tosses her into the rock wall. Everyone pauses as Tommy makes a reasonably sized dent, and she coughs as she sits up with a cut on her forehead and wide eyes. Kimberly feels the energy that hums in her, and as she takes a threatening step forward, arms wrap around her and looks up at Zack.

 

“Chill.” Zack orders.

 

“Tommy, are you okay?” Jason demands as he moves to her.

 

Tommy accepts the hand he offers her and nods in a slight daze, “I guess we both just got a little carried away.”

 

“Understatement of the year. You guys were like professional UFC fighters over here.” Trini sneers as she approaches Kimberly and presses a soft hand to her lower back. “Are you okay?”

 

Kimberly bites her lip, “I’m fine.”

 

Tommy flashes her a wink, and all she can think is that she is anything but fine.

 

-

 

Kimberly is pouting. She is sitting on her bed with her arms crossed and a genuine pout on her face while Zack, Jason, and Billy argue over her TV remote. Trini is noticeably missing, and _that_ is exactly why Kimberly is upset; her girlfriend had canceled last minute after she had texted her that she had plans to cram for an upcoming history test. Normally, Kimberly wouldn’t care but she feels like she’s back to being that bitter cheerleader, all because Trini is studying with Tommy.

 

“Kim, tell them that we want to watch reruns of Mike and Molly!”

 

Jason shoves Zack with a frown, “No. We’re watching Bob’s Burgers.”

 

“I want to watch The Bachelor.” Billy shrugs.

 

Kimberly can’t help but smile slightly as Jason immediately puts on Billy’s show and settles; it kind of amazes her just how much Jason would do for Billy. Zack huffs loud enough to catch her attention, and she glances up to watch as he stomps towards her bed and throws himself onto the mattress. With a roll of her eyes, Kimberly shifts her legs from beneath Zack’s weight and curls them close to her chest.

 

“Where’s crazy girl?” Zack mumbles.

 

Kimberly tightens her jaw, “Studying with Tommy.”

 

“Wait…” Zack frowns as he rolls his head so he can look at his friend. “Trini is studying with _Tommy_? Like, the same Tommy is has a massive crush on her? The same Tommy who looks like she wants to snap you in half every time you so much smile at Trini?”

 

“You see it too?” Kimberly scoffs.

 

“ _Everyone_ sees it. Well, besides Billy because he’s too cool to notice.” Zack shrugs. “And Trini. Your girl is definitely blind when it comes to her realizing people are into her.”

 

“It took me two weeks to actually get her to catch on that we were basically dating already.” Kimberly hums before her small smile falls away. “I know she’s our teammate and we’re supposed to be friends, but I don’t _trust_ her. Something is off with her, Zack.”

 

Zack arches an eyebrow, “You’re the one who brought her to us…”

 

“That doesn’t matter, something just seems off.” Kimberly murmurs as she pulls the yellow sweater sleeves over her hands. “I don’t know what it is, but she just seems off. Distant. She doesn’t fit in.”

 

“Maybe because we haven’t actually given her a chance to?” Zack suggests with a small shrug. “We all had an instant bond because we found out coins together, Tommy is probably just trying to figure out where she fits.”

 

“She might want to start by respecting Trini’s relationship.” Kimberly snaps, and her attention immediately drops to her phone when it vibrates in her hand. “I have to go, Trini needs me to pick her up from the library.”

 

Zack sits up, “Want me to come with?”

 

“No. We’ll be back in a little bit. No arguing over the remote.” Kimberly orders as she stands from the bed and points a stern finger at her friends. “Got it?”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Alright, spoilsport.”

 

“Okay, Kim!”

 

-

 

Trini is quiet when Kimberly picks her up, and Kimberly has to swallow her nerves down as she drives. She considers taking Trini home, but her girlfriend immediately shakes her head when she hears the sound of the turning indicator. So, Kimberly instead drives them out to the quarry where she knows the other Rangers will show up shortly for training. Trini fidgets with her sleeves and glances out the window as she finally blows out a breath and looks to where her girlfriend sits.

 

“I need to talk to you about something…”

 

Kimberly tenses out of instinct, “Okay.”

 

“It’s about Tommy.”

 

“I figured.” Kimberly nods.

 

“I was looking for a book and I couldn’t reach it so I asked Tommy to help, and she did and...um…” Trini trails off and puffs out a shudder of a breath. “She p-pressed me up against the bookcase and when I tried to push her away she kissed me.”

 

Out of all the things Kimberly expected to hear, that wasn’t it. She looks to Trini and sees the annoyance on her expression, but also the lingering hint of an uncomfortable fear. Kimberly wants to explode, but instead she unbuckles herself and reaches out to do the same to Trini before she tugs at her jacket until the shorter girl is crawling across the console and into her lap. With a sigh, Kimberly tilts her head up and presses their lips together in a soft kiss that causes a slow smile to spread across Trini’s face.

 

“Are you okay?” Kimberly murmurs against her lips.

 

Trini nods as she pulls away and allows a scowl to appear, “I wanted to punch her. I should’ve. I can’t believe she did that, she knows we’re dating.”

 

“You do know she likes you, right? She’s had a thing for you for months.” Kimberly chuckles, and the sound grows as Trini tilts her head in surprise. “Oh, babe. Yeah. She likes you.”

 

Trini scrunches her nose, “Gross.”

 

“Oh? Not interested in redheads?” Kimberly teases as she guides Trini into a long, soft lip lock.

 

“Mm, no. I like badass girls who cut their hair in bathrooms for no other reason than to be insanely dramatic.” Trini shrugs, and a laugh bubbles in her throat when Kimberly bites her cheek. “Hey! I’m just kidding! No biting!”

 

Kimberly buries her face in Trini’s neck and playfully nips at her pulse point, “You’ve never had an issue with it before.”

 

Trini fights against her lips and squirms, but Kimberly simply tightens her grip until the sound of the car horn draws them away. Both girls burst into fits of laughter as Kimberly grapples onto her and attempts to pull her away from the wheel, but a knock on the window draws their attention and they look to see Jason’s smirk. Trini rolls her eyes as she struggles against Kimberly and reaches out to roll down the window before she arches an eyebrow at their amused team leader.

 

Jason sets his hands on his hips and forces a stern expression, “Are you two done disturbing the peace? We have training.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Trini grumbles, and she quickly reaches out to swing the door open in order to connect it with Jason’s body. “I hope that hurt.”

 

“Not even a little.” Jason groans as he holds his stomach and shoots the girl a slight glare. “You’re mean.”

 

“ _You’re_ mean.” Trini counters.

 

“Alright, you two,” Kimberly grins as she slides from the car and slams the door shut before she scans it over for any type of dents. “I’m impressed, babe. You didn’t even leave a mark.”

 

“That’s because Pillsbury Dough Boy is too soft to dent anything.” Trini shrugs, and Jason playfully narrows his eyes. “What? I’m just saying.”

 

Jason gives a growl before he lunges forward to grab a hold of Trini and easily heave her over his shoulder. With a cry of displeasure, Trini attempts to free herself but Jason simply turns and takes off towards the quarry where he doesn’t hesitate to jump off the ledge with Trini’s screams following. As they disappear, Kimberly’s smile follows. She knows exactly what and _who_ is waiting for her, and the thought propels her forward as she rushes after her friends and flips her way into the chilly water.

 

By the time she glides through the other side, she can hear the laughter from the pit. With a quick swipe through her damp locks, Kimberly follows the noise and pauses to take in the sight; Zack is sparing with Billy who is all smiles and jokes while Jason is attempting to hide himself from Trini as she takes swings at him. These were her best friends, a piece of her world. The only thing that doesn’t fit is the redhead in the corner who seems more interested in her peeling green nail polish than anything else; the sight makes Kimberly’s blood boil.

 

“Kim!” Jason exclaims as he catches sight of her. “Tell Trini to stop throwing rocks at me! I’m not invincible!”

 

“Stop throwing rocks at him.” Kimberly orders in a teasing tone as she catches an arm around Trini’s waist to pull her into her body. “Just remember to aim for the abdomen, It’s his weakest spot.”

 

“Good thinking.” Trini smirks as she tilts her head back in order to catch the kiss Kimberly offers her.

 

“Well, aren’t you two just _precious_?” Tommy drawls as she pushes off the bolder and steps towards them. “You really have it all, don’t you? All five of you are just fucking _perfect_ together.”

 

The pit goes quiet as they look at their teammate and see an almost familiar glint to her gaze. Billy immediately steps back while Zack moves in front of him, his jaw set and his hands tightened in fists. Tommy doesn’t stop her pursuit as she moves closer to Trini and Kimberly, her gaze dances to drop on Trini before she licks her lips and gives a smile. There’s something almost _cynical_ about the look, and the Rangers can see that this isn’t Tommy; at least not the same Tommy who was shy and nervous for the first few weeks after Kimberly had introduced her.

 

Kimberly steps forward, “What is your issue?”

 

“Kim…”

 

“Babe, stay out of this,” Kimberly orders as she calms her voice for a split second, before her dark eyes snap to Tommy. “Why the _hell_ would you kiss Trini? You know we’re dating!”

 

“You did _what_?” Zack scoffs.

 

Tommy ignores them as she folds her arms over her chest, “Sorry about that. You see, when I see something that I want, I can’t help but just go for it.”

 

“She’s not yours to have.” Kimberly snarls as she curls her hands into fists. “Actually, fuck _that_. She isn’t some kind of prize to be won or fought over. You made her uncomfortable, and _that_ is where my issue with you begins.”

 

“It was just a stupid kiss…”

 

Kimberly steps forward to ball Tommy’s shirt in her hands and ignores the voices that yell at her, “You upset her. You basically forced yourself on her. It wasn’t just a kiss, it was a power play. Stay _away_ from my girlfriend.”

 

“Oh please,” Tommy laughs as she shoves Kimberly away and straight into Trini’s ready arms. “Do you think you can _really_ tell me what to do? Do you really think you have the balls? You’re a coward, Kimberly. You always have been and you always will be.”

 

Alpha rolls forward, “Master Tommy, your heart rate is heightened…”

 

“I am so tired of this.” Tommy snaps, and the laugh that comes from her is strong and borderline frightening. “You five walk around all high and mighty thinking that you’re heroes, that you are anything more than five teens who have no clue what they’re doing. You just beat up rocks and flip each other over your shoulders, you have no idea what’s coming. That crystal will be gone before…”

 

Billy steps forward with a frown, “Who told you about the crystal?”

 

The question causes them all to pause as they look at her. Jason stands taller as he regards the sudden stranger he had welcomed onto his team while Kimberly makes a slight move to slide in front of Trini. Tommy stares at them, the silence almost deafening, and then she launches herself towards Zack. All at once, everything seems to fall apart around them as Zack easily flips Tommy before she charges at Billy and takes him down with a quick sweep of her leg.

 

“Don’t let her leave!” Jason orders.

 

Tommy is graceful as she easily works her way through them. She catches each hook Jason throws at her, slams her foot into Zack’s abdomen as he runs to her, swings Trini into the rock wall with an easy flick of her wrist, and easily flips Kimberly over her shoulder with a laugh. The Rangers stay where they land as they listen to Tommy’s giggles before she scrambles up the wall and stares down at them; and they can all feel a piece of them chip away as their armor refuses to surface.

 

“Rita sends her regards.”

  
Tommy disappears and leaves the five Rangers wondering how they allowed this to happen.


	8. that's when you know it's over

**Prompt: Kimberly has dinner with Trini's parents. It doesn’t go over well.**

* * *

 

“You’re quiet tonight.”

 

Kimberly pulls her gaze away from the TV to look down at the girl on her chest, “Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”

 

“I figured that, I can practically _hear_ your thoughts.” Trini scoffs as she pushes away from Kimberly and glances down into her dark eyes. “Alright, talk to me. You’ve been mute since dinner.”

 

“You have dinner with us at least twice a week.” Kimberly sighs as she nervously bites at her lower lip. “My parents love you, they think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

 

Trini smirks as she drops her head to press a quick peck to Kimberly’s frown, “Well, as long as they know the truth.”

 

“Why won’t you invite me over for dinner with your parents? And why do you only invite me over whenever you know they won’t be there?” Kimberly asks as she reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind Trini’s ear. “Are you...hiding me?”

 

“What? No.” Trini scowls.

 

“So, they know we’re together?” Kimberly demands, and her jaw immediately tightens when she notices Trini look away. “That’s what I thought. Trini, why haven’t you told your parents about me?”

 

“I _have._ ” Trini snaps as she fumbles away from Kimberly. “I’ve told them a million different times, in a million different ways. They just don’t _listen_. They just choose what they want to hear, they pretend that you and I are just friends.”

 

“Babe…”

 

“I don’t want to hide you, Kim. I want them to know how happy I am with you but I _can’t._ They’ll do what they do best and ruin it, they’ll find a way to make it go away.” Trini whispers as she drops her gaze. “I don’t want you to go away, alright?”

 

Kimberly sighs as she sits up and moves to curl herself around Trini before she presses a kiss to her shoulder, “I’m not going anywhere. They can say and do whatever they want, but they won’t scare me off.”

 

“It’s not so much them scaring you away as it is them taking me away.” Trini mumbles as she falls back into Kimberly’s chest. “If they find out I’m with you then they’ll move me as far away from Angel Grove as they can.”

 

“Good thing we can teleport.”

 

Trini laughs softly in disbelief, “Do you want to have dinner with us on Friday? I think it’s time they really know about you.”

 

“I'd love to.” Kimberly grins. “It’s going to be great. Just wait.”

 

“Famous last words, babe.”

 

-

 

“Thank you for offering to help tonight, mija. It’s nice having you in the kitchen with me again.” June smiles as she looks over to her daughter. “You used to love helping me make dinner.”

 

“Yeah, I remember.” Trini nods as she easily dices up an onion.

 

“This used to be your favorite thing to help me cook. I used to let you eat the tomatoes and extra rice.” June hums as she drops her gaze to the tomatoes. “Any special reason you’re helping tonight?”

 

“Not really. I guess I just miss helping you sometimes. We had a lot of fun.” Trini shrugs. “And uh I just...I wanted to ask if it was cool if Kimberly came over for dinner tonight?”

 

“Kimberly?” June repeats as she offers a tomato slice to her daughter. “Is she the cheerleader?”

 

“Well, not anymore.” Trini frowns as she pops the red fruit into her mouth. “She used to be on the squad, but it uh...it didn’t work out. She’s my Bio partner now.”

 

June nods, “Oh.”

 

“She’s also my girlfriend.”

 

Trini cringes as her mother’s knife slams hard against the cutting board, but the woman quickly fixes her expression and continues on. For a moment, Trini thinks that she imagined their entire conversation but she can see the twitch in her mother’s jaw and the fire that rages deep beneath her skin; a fire that she can slowly feel burning through her confidence.

 

“Mom?”

 

“Remind me to watch how much spice I put into the arroz con pollo.” June hums as she forces a smile onto her face. “Alec just about cried the last time he ate it.”

 

Trini heaves a breath, “Mami…”

 

“Let Kimberly know we’d be more than happy to have her for dinner. I’ll have Mateo set a spot for her.” June replies in a soft voice. “Go wash up for dinner, mija. I’ll finish up here.”

 

“Are you sure?” Trini frowns.

 

“Yes. Please, go wash up.” June orders.

 

Trini sets her knife aside and wipes her hand before she turns to walk away. She knows she should feel accomplished that her mother has allowed Kimberly to come for dinner, but she doesn’t. All she feels is a deep ball of dread settling low in her gut.

 

-

 

Trini is beyond nervous by the time Kimberly knocks on the front door. Her father sends her a few glances here and there, but mostly he trades harsh whispers with her mother in the kitchen. The sight of her girlfriend makes a calmness wash over her, and she quickly reaches out to fist the leather of her jacket before she yanks her into the house.

 

“Thank God you’re here.” Trini mumbles as she releases a sigh of relief while Kimberly arches an eyebrow. “They won’t stop _staring_ and _whispering._ It’s like I told them you’re coming over to murder all of us.”

 

“Well, relax,” Kimberly smirks as she sets her hands on Trini’s biceps and locks their gazes. “I’m here...not to murder your family, but to charm the fu-”

 

“Kimmy!”

 

Kimberly bites back her words as Alec rushes to her with floppy curls falling in his face and his smile revealing his missing bottom tooth. With a laugh, Kimberly pulls away from Trini in time to catch Alec in a hug as she spins him around and before she can set him down another body is wrapped around her leg. The laughs seem to draw the attention of Victor and June, and the pair makes their way to the foyer only to stop short.

 

“Mami, Papi! Kimmy is here!”

 

“So I see.” June hums as she forces an expression of excitement. “Kimberly, we’re glad that you could join us.”

 

Kimberly carefully sets Alec back on his feet while Mateo unwraps himself from around her leg, “Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Gomez.”

 

“Oh, I wouldn’t really call it an _invitation_. Boys, go finish the table.” June orders as she looks to the twins.

 

Victor gives Kimberly a grimace of a smile as he turns to walk away with June at his heels. With a sigh, Kimberly reaches back and wiggles her fingers until Trini slides their palms together. The touch is enough to settle them both, and the pair trade nervous smiles as they realize they really have no hope of this going over well.

 

-

 

“This is delicious, Mrs. Gomez.”

 

June nods in response.

 

“You have a lovely home.”

 

Victor takes a hearty sip of his wine.

 

Kimberly tries again and again, she tries to get the dialog going but fails. It seems like her every attempt is shot down, and she can feel her confidence dwindling. Trini sits beside her and she flashes a small glance to watch as her girlfriend scoots her food around her plate with a seemingly permanent flush to her face.

 

“What do you want to do with your life, Kimberly?” June questions as she slowly lifts her gaze.

 

Kimberly falters as she looks to Trini, “It depends...I’ve always wanted to do something with my music but if that doesn’t pan out then I definitely wouldn’t mind teaching gymnastics and dance.”

 

“What do your parents think about that? Your music, that is.” June hums as she narrow her eyes. “It must be hard for them, first with you being gay and…”

 

“Bi.” Kimberly cuts in. “I’m bi.”

 

Victor furrows his brow, “Excuse me?”

 

“I’m uh I’m bisexual.” Kimberly begins as her cheeks color and her hand searches for Trini’s beneath the table. “I date both boys and girls. Well, currently I’m dating your daughter and I don’t want to change that anytime soon…”

 

“You are _not_ dating my daughter, young lady.” June scoffs as she reaches for her wine glass and keeps her eyes on a scowling Kimberly. “Trinity is just...confused. This is only phase that I assume she’ll grow out of within the year.”

 

“Mom,” Trini sighs. “Please.”

 

“I don’t know what you were expecting from this dinner, Trinity,” June snaps as she sips slowly at the bitter wine. “You know I don’t support the choices you’ve made, and it’s just disgusting that you would bring this into our home.”

 

Trini growls as she pulls her hand away from Kimberly and slams her fists on the table, “Why did you tell me it was okay then? Why would you do that?”

 

“Trinity,” Victor sighs. “That’s enough.”

 

“No. It’s not, it’ll never be enough. _I’ll_ never be enough. Isn’t that right?” Trini sneers as she jumps her gaze between her mother and father. “I’m _happy_. I’m so happy. Why can’t that be enough?”

 

“You are not the same little girl that your father and I brought home seventeen years ago. I don’t know _who_ you are.” June hisses as she sets her glass down. “I can barely stand to look at you right now.”

 

“Then don’t. I’m not asking you to. I’m just asking for you to let me breathe for five seconds, I’m asking for you to just give who I am a chance. I promise that I’ll be better if you just work with me.” Trini pleads. “I just need you to _listen_.”

 

Victor looks to the wide eyed twins at his side, “We don’t need to be discussing this in front of the boys.”

 

“Say it.”

 

Trini blinks in confusion, “What?”

 

“You want us to listen,” June begins in a strained tone. “So, we’re listening. I want you to _say_ it. Tell us exactly what you've been holding back.”

 

“I’m…” Trini trails off as the word gets stuck in the back of her throat, and she chokes slightly as she looks between her parents for a moment. “I’m gay.”

 

June stares at her for a long moment, and Trini feels a chill run down her spine. Another minute passes and the woman stands quickly from her chair and disappears; Trini sinks in her chair and waits, she waits for the smack of the cup being set down so her mother can once again test her for drugs. But when June returns, she sets a duffel bag on the table and Trini feels her stomach bottom out as she looks to her mother with wide eyes.

 

“M-Mom?”

 

“Take this. Whatever you can fit in here and carry with you is yours. Leave your car keys, cellphone, and the house key. You have twenty minutes.” June orders in soft whisper. “Get your things and get of my house, Trinity.”

 

Victor stands slowly, “June…”

 

“No!” June exclaims as she holds a hand up to her husband while she continues to stare at her daughter. “I’ve been patient. I’ve been understanding. I’ve been _forgiving._ But I’m done. I won’t let you bring this sin around your brothers and I won’t allow it to continue under my roof.”

 

“Mrs. Gomez,” Kimberly pleads as she feels her heart thudding heavily. “Don’t do this to her.”

 

“Don’t you dare speak to me.” June snaps as she looks to Kimberly with fire in her dark eyes. “ _You_ did this. You confused my daughter, and I won’t allow that kind of behavior in my home. I have tried to ignore this for years, but I’m done. I want her out of my house.”

 

Trini feels like she can’t breathe. Everything fades around her as she hears her mother spewing out every insult she has been bottling up. Her hands shake and she looks across the table at her little brothers; Alec and Mateo watch on with fear and confusion, and it breaks her heart. The sight of them, so thrown by what is happening, causes the first sob to break free. Trini starts to cry, and she doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to stop.

 

-

 

“I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

 

Trini is asleep beside her. She’s only been out for five minutes, and it breaks Kimberly’s heart that her girlfriend basically drove herself into unconsciousness with her sobs. Tomorrow seems too close and Kimberly silently thanks whoever is listening that her parents are as amazing as they are; tomorrow while come, but the two only have plans to stay far away from reality and safely in Kimberly’s bed.

 

“I’m so sorry, babe.” Kimberly sighs as she looks at the back of Trini’s head. “This is all my fault. I’m so, so sorry. If I could...I wish I could go back in time and keep that dinner from ever happening.”

 

“S’not your fault.”

 

The grumble causes Kimberly to tense as she frowns, “I thought you were asleep.”

 

“I can’t sleep when my girlfriend is talking out loud.” Trini scoffs, her voice is raspy and nasally from her tears. “Go to sleep, Kim. We’ll figure it out tomorrow.”

 

“Tomorrow is only a breath away…”

 

“And tomorrow means I can put today behind me and that’s all I want.” Trini sighs as she rolls to face Kimberly. “I just want this day to end.”

 

Kimberly bites her lower lip, “I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be. You have nothing to be sorry for. Kim, this was inevitable.” Trini points out as she furrows her brow. “This day was going to come eventually, and there’s nothing I can do.”

 

“I wish there was something _I_ could do.”

 

Trini hums in response and rolls back over before she scoots backwards, “Just...hold me.”

 

“I can do that.” Kimberly nods as she slips a protective arm around Trini’s waist. “I love you, you know that?”

 

“I do.” Trini yawns. “I love you, too.”

 

-

 

Trini moves in with Jason.

 

It isn’t ideal, and Kimberly knows Trini hates the idea of living off the Scott family but they were insistent. Kimberly is grateful for them, she rests easier knowing her girlfriend is with people who will take care of her, and keep her safe. With that small thought, she hauls herself onto a familiar balcony and raps on the door until sleepy eyes and messy hair greet her.

 

“What are you doing here?” Jason yawns as he rubs at his eyes.

 

Kimberly frowns, “What are _you_ doing here?”

 

“I live here.” Jason scoffs.

 

“I thought Trini was sleeping in here…”

 

Jason sighs and nods, “She was, but my parents set up the guest room for her. They want her to feel more at home so they painted it and everything.”

 

“Wow.” Kimberly smiles. “Does she like it?”

 

“I’m not sure.”Jason admits with a furrow of his brow. “She got kind of quiet when my mom showed her everything. She seemed kind of...sad.”

 

“Can you really blame her? This is a lot to take in.” Kimberly reminds him. “It was probably a huge wake up call when she suddenly has a room in a house that isn’t hers.”

 

“I just wish there was more I could do. It’s hard seeing her like this and knowing there’s nothing I can do.” Jason frowns as he rubs at the back of his neck.

 

“I’m right there with you, Jace. We just have to give her some time to think it all through and she’ll talk about it when she’s ready. Trini doesn’t like to be cornered or forced into things.” Kimberly sighs.

 

“She has such a big heart, it’s a shame that her parents don’t even realize that.” Jason mumbles with an exhausted shake of his head before he locks his gaze with Kimberly. “But I’m glad that she has you.”

 

“And she always will.” Kimberly nods.

 

Jason steps back into his room and Kimberly patters inside before she tiptoes out into the hallway. The house creaks and moans in discomfort, and Kimberly is quick to hurry along the walls before she silently ducks into the room that usually hosts the rest of the Rangers whenever they have sleepovers at Jason’s. This time, as she steps inside, she pauses as she takes in the sight of her girlfriend lying on the floor with a blank expression.

 

“Mind if I join you?”

 

Trini barely startles as she turns her head to watch as Kimberly quietly closes the door, “You don’t even have to ask.”

 

Kimberly easily plops down on the floor before she turns onto her side and props her head in her hand. A small smile glides across her face as she reaches out to brush the tip of her finger along Trini’s face. The younger girl is silent as she continues to watch the fan turn over and over; there’s so many things Kimberly wants to say, but she knows there’s only one thing that Trini needs to hear.

 

“I love you, Trini.” Kimberly whispers.

  
Trini releases a breath that holds more weight than Kimberly thought. With tear filled eyes, Trini sniffles as she scoots closer to Kimberly and easily burrows into her side; Kimberly holds her and presses a gentle kiss to the top of her head. She wants to promise her that everything will be better, but she just tightens her grasp on Trini and hopes that somehow she is managing to hold the pieces of her shattered girlfriend together.


	9. i've been waiting for a moment like this

**Prompt: Kimberly and Trini adopt.**  

 

* * *

 

 

“Nathaniel?”

 

“No. That’s so...plain.”

 

“Gabriel?”

 

“Eh.”

 

“Henry?”

 

“Hard no on that one.”

 

Trini sighs and flips the book onto her knee as she glares at her wife, “You can’t veto every single name I suggest. Why was it so easy for you to pick a girl name?”

 

“I don’t know.” Kimberly admits as she reaches out to pull Trini’s legs into her lap while she pouts. “I just...this is a name for our _son._  Our little boy. Shit. Trin, we’re going to be parents.”

 

“Yup. In one month, two weeks, and roughly five days.” Trini nods. “So, we need to choose a name for our son. You’ve had Lyla picked out for our imaginary daughter since before we were engaged.”

 

“I know, but I kind of always saw us having a daughter.” Kimberly sighs as she nibbles at her lower lip. “I just…I never really considered an alternative.”

 

“We only have so much time.” Trini warns as she pokes her toes into Kimberly’s ribs. “Is this how annoyed you felt when I went crazy after we found out that our adoption application was accepted?”

 

“Yes. You drank yourself into a stupor and then threw up on the baby blanket your mom sewed for us.” Kimberly laughs while her fingers play at the bottom of Trini’s foot. “I put up with _your_ crazy, now it’s your turn to return the favor.”

 

“I agreed to put up with your crazy the day I agreed to marry you.” Trini smirks, but the expression vanishes as fingers glide over her foot. “Tickle me and I _will_ kick you in the face.”

 

“Threatening spousal abuse?” Kimberly gasps.

 

Trini squirms as Kimberly begins to tickle the bottom of her feet, “Kim!”

 

Kimberly continues the assault up until Trini kicks her way free and scrambles to pull her wife’s shirt up before she delivers a sloppy raspberry to her stomach. Below her, Kimberly throws her head back with a laugh while tears stream down her face. Trini continues to blow against Kimberly’s stomach until she is as breathless and red faced as Kimberly, and a grin plays at her lips as she crawls to hover over her flushed wife.

 

“You okay?” Trini pants.

 

Kimberly nods and reaches up to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind Trini’s ear, “Someday we’re going to be doing that to George.”

 

“We are _not_ naming our son George.”

 

-

 

“Is that a _sailboat_?” Trini demands as she stares at the outfit Tommy holds. “No. Put that back. My son is not going to wear that outfit. No child should ever be subjected to wearing that.”

 

“You can’t veto every outfit, Trin.” Tommy huffs as she returns the onesie to the rack. “We’ve been shopping for _hours_ , and you only have like three things picked out.”

 

“I want his clothes to be somewhat...normal. I don’t want to stick him in a bunch of _outfits_. I like the idea of him wearing jeans and stuff.” Trini shrugs. “Kim’s parents bought him at least twenty onesies with different versions of I love grandma and grandpa, and my mom bought him a shit ton of goofy bowties and suspenders.”

 

“He’s going to be so cute.” Tommy sighs. “I wish Zack wanted kids.”

 

“You guys have only been married for a few months, give it some time. He’s going to be a great dad, he just needs some time to grow up.” Trini hums before her attention falls to a yellow polo. “Do you think this shirt is too fuckboy looking?”

 

Tommy tilts her head back with a laugh, “No!”

 

“It’s a valid question. I’ve seen some of the stuff Kim’s friends put their kids in and I don’t want my son wearing something douchey.” Trini mumbles with a small cringe. “Have you seen Kim? I thought she was running to the bathroom…”

 

“She’s months away from becoming a mom and she’s in a Babies R Us, I guarantee she just got distracted.” Tommy sighs as she follows behind Trini who easily skates through the aisles. “So, how goes the nursery set up?”

 

Trini shrugs as she skirts through baby food, “Well, as you know, Jason and Zack came over to help Kim finishing painting the walls and Billy helped me build the crib and changing table. All that’s left is setting up his toys and closet.”

 

“So, are you ready?” Tommy asks.

 

“To get out of here? Fuck yeah.” Trini scoffs as she fumbles on the cart and jolts forward slightly. “I don’t think I can spend another minute looking at baby clothes. I’m going to have to see my son in the same things all the time and…”

 

“I meant to be a parent, T.” Tommy cuts in.

 

“Oh.” Trini frowns. “Not at all.”

 

“You’re going to be a great mom, Trin.” Tommy assures her as she nudges an elbow into her side while Trini flushes and rolls her eyes. “I’m serious. Zack and I are proud of you and Kim, adopting is a big thing.”

 

“It just feels like the _right_ thing. Kim and I want a family together, and we thought about it for so long and adoption was what we wanted.” Trini smiles before she perks up when she spots Kimberly at the end of the aisle. “Not to sound like a typical cliché, but there are kids out there who need homes.”

 

“Hey, there you are!” Kimberly beams.

 

“I’ve been looking for _you_.” Trini hums as she arches her head up in order to catch Kimberly’s lips. “You should have saw the things Tommy was picking out for our son. They were hideous.”

 

“Well, look at this.” Kimberly laughs as she pulls something from behind her back, and her smile widens at Trini’s expression. “I already bought it so you can’t tell me no. He’s going to wear this all the time.”

 

“Funny.” Trini hums as she eyes the tiny yellow beanie with Pooh ears on it. “He can wear it on the days that we put him in the little leather jacket I bought last week.”

 

“Alright. Seriously? _That_ is what you find acceptable? At least the sailboat was green and didn’t have ears!” Tommy sneers as she gestures to the offending object. “Why were my outfits so terrible compared to the hat?”

 

“This is the mother of my child.” Trini shrugs as she curls her arms around Kimberly’s waist. “She’s going to be dressing Baby Hart everyday so she should at least _like_ what we’re putting him in.”

 

“Still going with Baby Hart?” Tommy smirks. “You guys really don’t want us to know the kid’s name. We’re a little offended.”

 

“We’ll tell you his name when _we_ know it.” Trini mumbles.

 

“You don’t have a name picked out?” Tommy gaps, and a laugh bubbles when she sees the couple trade sheepish expressions. “Oh God. Zack is going to _love_ this!”

 

Kimberly glances down at Trini, “We’re deciding on a name _tonight_.”

 

-

 

“Dixon?”

 

“Pass.”

 

“Jonathan?”

 

“No. I hate that name.”

 

“Paul?”

 

“And to think you said Nathaniel was too plain. No. I don’t like Paul.” Trini scowls as she mashes at her controller buttons. “I don’t think we’re going to find a name, babe. Something tells me we’ll know when we finally see him.”

 

“Are we really going to be _that_ couple?” Kimberly smirks as she pops a Gusher into her mouth. “I never pegged you to be that type of parent, babe. I am in shock.”

 

“Whatever.” Trini chuckles as she tilts her head back and waits for Kimberly to drop a Gusher in her open mouth. “It’s...just not really fair for him to get here and we’re clueless as to what to name him.”

 

“We could name him Kimberly Junior. Call him KJ. Or Trini Junior.” Kimberly offers as she combs her empty hand through Trini’s hair while her wife simply laughs. “You’re probably right though. We’re going to…”

 

Kimberly is cut off as both of their phones light up. Immediately, everything else is forgotten as the women leap from the safety of the couch and rush towards the door. For the next few hours, baby names are the last thing on their minds.

 

-

 

“Are we still going to do this?”

 

Trini winces as Kimberly focuses on cleaning the cut on her head, “What do you mean?”

 

“Once baby Hart is here,” Kimberly begins with a concentrated frown. “Do you want to continue with the Power Rangers? Should we even consider it? Our son is going to need us.”

 

“Zordon says that there’s been other Rangers…”

 

“I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about _us._ We may have super healing, but we’re not invincible. I don’t want to leave our son an orphan.” Kimberly frowns as she continues to work at the cut. “He deserves a normal life.”

 

“We can’t just walk away.” Trini scoffs.

 

“We can’t do this forever, babe. Eventually we’ll have to move on.” Kimberly sighs as she moves the alcohol wipe to Trini’s cheek. “I want a good, long life with our son. I want him to be able to be raised by _both_ of us.”

 

“He will be…”

 

“You don’t know that!” Kimberly snaps as she tosses the wipe aside. “You were thrown into a _building_ today, Trini. If it wasn’t for our accelerated healing then you’d be in a hospital. What kind of life is that? It’s not fair.”

 

“Kim, no one will hold it against you if you choose to give up your coin.” Trini assures her as she reaches out to pull her wife close. “Zordon told us that when we choose to give up our place that another worthy warrior will replace us.”

 

“I’m not going without you.” Kimberly sneers as she dances her eyes over Trini’s face. “Like I could really trust the boys to take care of my wife the way _I_ do. They’ll get you killed.”

 

“You have such faith in them, babe,” Trini laughs as she cups Kimberly’s face and draws her closer. “If you want to walk away from this and if you want me to go too then I will.”

 

Kimberly allows her eyes to close as she gently rests their foreheads together, “I just want a normal life for Hunter.”

 

“You gotta stop throwing random names into our conversations.” Trini mumbles with an amused chuckle. “Like I said, when you’re ready to go then we’ll go.”

 

“Promise?” Kimberly frowns.

 

Trini presses their lips together, “Promise.”

 

Kimberly draws away and opens her eyes to stare at Trini, “So was that a no to Hunter?”

 

“That was a _hell_ no.”

 

-

 

“Rollins?”

 

Kimberly immediately shakes her head, “No.”

 

“Finn?”

 

“Hm.” Kimberly pauses in her folding as she tilts her head in silent thought. “It’d be a cute name, but I don’t think it’s for _our_ son.”

 

“Alright. Cabot?”

 

Kimberly turns her attention back to the wash cloths and folds one with ease, “Cabot Hart sounds a bit ridiculous, don’t you think?”

 

“How about Elliot?”

 

“Nope.”

 

Trini sighs and tosses the remote aside, “Benson?”

 

Kimberly stops folding as her brow furrows and she silently goes back through the names Trini has listed. With a roll of her eyes, she peeks over the back of the couch and watches as her wife pops M&M’s in her mouth while staring blankly at the marathon currently playing mindlessly before her.

 

“Really, babe?” Kimberly scoffs, and wide brown eyes jump to her before she sees a sheepish smile appear. “We are _not_ naming our child after a character from Law and Order.”

 

“They’re good names though.” Trini shrugs as she props herself on her elbows. “Kim, we have to decide on something. I want our son to come into this world with a name.”

 

“We’ll think of something. Eventually.”

 

Trini collapses back onto the couch, “Eventually.”

 

-

 

Trini is in complete awe. For the last two years, she and Kimberly have jumped through hoop after hoop in search of the missing piece of their life. There were countless packets of paperwork, days of waiting for _the_ call, home visits that left them both nervous and edgy, and finally it all fell into place. Finally, after so long, Trini stares down at the bundle of joy they have been waiting for; he is beautiful, all bundled up and waiting for them on the opposite side of the glass.

 

“He’s perfect.” Trini scoffs.

 

Kimberly nods with tears in her eyes, “I didn’t think it was possible to love someone as much as I love you, but our son just destroyed that. God, Trin. He’s just absolutely beautiful.”

 

“How is Ingrid?” Trini asks in a soft voice.

 

“She’s...okay.” Kimberly sighs as she curls her arms protectively around Trini’s waist. “The nurse said she held him. I want to tell her thank you, but something tells me she wants to be alone right now.”

 

Trini nods slowly as she settles back into Kimberly’s chest, “Our boy is here. He’s _here_. Kim, he is so wonderful.”

 

“That’s our boy. Wonderful already. He must get it from his mama.” Kimberly teases as she drops a kiss to the top of Trini’s head.

 

“I’m pretty sure Lincoln is the best looking kid in there.” Trini teases, and she barely registers the way Kimberly tenses. “I mean, look at him. He’s gonna be a looker, Kim.”

 

“What did you call him?” Kimberly demands.

 

Trini pauses as she turns and looks up at Kimberly with a sheepish lopsided grin, “Lincoln?”

 

“Trini, that’s... _perfect._ ” Kimberly breathes out, and a laugh leaves her as she swings Trini around and presses soft kisses to her lips. “Lincoln. Lincoln Zachary Hart.”

 

“I will forever be bitter that Zack won that bet.” Trini huffs before she drapes her arms around Kimberly’s neck and glances to her son. “I kinda just thought about it last night, and I was going to tell you but Ingrid went into labor and…”

 

“Hey, take a breath. It’s perfect.” Kimberly assures her as they both focus on their son, on Lincoln. “ _He’s_ perfect.”

 

-

 

Once they’re allowed back to see Lincoln, both women can feel their hearts fluttering. Nothing will ever be the same again, their entire world is about to change; before this, they lived for each other and now every breath they take is for their son. This is their world now. This is their future, their new future swaddled in blue blankets.

 

Trini holds him first and all she can do is blink in shock. Lincoln is _tiny._ And he’s already so handsome, breathtakingly so. With his dark, mocha skin that is smooth under her touch. And dark eyes that squint in protest to the bright lights around him. Even his tiny little tufts of black curls are pure perfection, _he_ is their perfect little thing.

 

“My baby. He’s ours. He’s our child, just pure perfection. I...I’ve only just met him, and he’s already the child I always pictured.” Trini admits as she shifts Lincoln in her embrace. “Kim, he is just...wow. I don’t even know what to say.”

 

“My wife is _speechless_? I’m shocked.”

 

Trini laughs and shakes her head in disbelief. For two hours, the women marvel over their son. They count his toes, press kisses to his round cheeks, and hold him until he fusses. They’re already so in love and they both know there’s no changing that; Lincoln has his mothers’ wrapped so tight around his finger and he doesn’t even know it.

 

After a while, Trini leaves to hunt down their waiting visitors and Kimberly takes a moment to sweep her son into her protective embrace. She relishes in the soft breaths against her warm skin, she tracks the gentle rise and fall of Lincoln’s chest, and she notes how his little heartbeat flutters gently as she begins to walk through the hospital room.

 

Thoughts run through her mind as she dances her gaze over soft features. A thousand things cloud her head, but she is numb to everything but her son. Lincoln is small. He’s delicate, fragile. She holds onto his tiny finger and smiles lovingly as his grip tightens with as much strength as his newborn body currently holds.

 

Lincoln reminds Kimberly that there is still good in her. Trini reminds her too, but it’s different with their son. Lincoln  _needs_ her, he is dependent on her. She is now tasked with the beautiful responsibility to raise this infant into a strong, respectful man. Kimberly knows this is her redemption, this is her chance to ensure that her son won’t make the same mistakes she did.

 

As she sways Lincoln, a fresh wave of _something_ washes over her. Suddenly, all she wants to do is do right by her son and wife. She wants to be someone Lincoln is proud of. It surprises Kimberly just how much love she has for this tiny boy; he’s only in the world for three hours and Kimberly knows she’ll do _anything_ keep himself safe.

 

Lincoln gurgles and squirms, and Kimberly easily shifts him and smiles. She has an entire life of this waiting for her. The clock ticks quietly and Kimberly looks to it with a cringe; she doesn’t want to put him down, she doesn’t want anyone but herself or Trini touching Lincoln.

 

“I love you, you mean so much to me.” Kimberly whispers. “You are perfection, Lincoln Hart. You’re going to do amazing things, my beautiful boy. The world is yours from here on out, and I promise you will have whatever you want.”

  
As Kimberly finishes speaking, the room fills with her Ranger family and both her and Trini’s parents; June is the first to take him, but Kimberly knows her words stick with her son because she swears he smiles at her.

 

-

 

**One Year Later**

 

“I don’t understand how you’re not as exhausted as I am.” Kimberly scoffs as she walks into the bedroom with a babbling Lincoln balanced on her hip. “You must be hyped up on all that cake you ate.”

 

“I didn’t even eat that much.” Trini shrugs as she plops on the bed and extends her arms until Lincoln is safely in her embrace. “I think I’m just happy that we’re celebrating our son’s birthday.”

 

“Do you think he had a good time today?” Kimberly frowns as she crawls onto the bed and flips lazily onto her side. “I know that it was really loud and over the top but…”

 

“You should have saw _my_ first birthday. This was a cakewalk.” Trini scoffs as she glances down at her son before she drops a kiss to his messy curls. “But I think he had an awesome time. He loved all the attention.”

 

“He’s spending too much time with Zack. No more playdates for them.” Kimberly teases as she props her head in her hand and watches the pair. “It amazes me how alike he is to you and Zack. It kind of scares me.”

 

“Psh. Whatever. He’s just like me. Pure perfection and intelligence.” Trini declares as she lifts Lincoln towards her lips and blows playfully against his t-shirt covered stomach. “He is most definitely his mama’s mini me.”

 

“I wouldn’t get him too wound up, he had a lot of cake.” Kimberly warns as she watches with a fond smile as Trini continues to blow raspberries on Lincoln’s stomach. “He’s going to throw up on you, and you’re going to be.” _pissed_

 

“He wouldn’t do that.” Trini smiles as she lowers the little boy back into her lap, the one-year-old gurgles as he tilts his head to look up at her with big brown eyes. “He loves his mama too much to do something so mean.”

 

“I don’t think his love controls his gag reflex, babe. Hey, but it’s _your_ face.” Kimberly replies before she laughs as Trini flashes her a look and pulls away from their son. “We should probably get him to bed, he’s had a busy day.”

 

“Yes he has.” Trini nods as she glances down at her son with a soft, adoring expression while Lincoln yawns and rubs at his eyes. “Damn. I can’t believe we’re parents.”

 

“Baby, we’ve been parents for a year.” Kimberly points out as she settles back in bed while Trini gently sets Lincoln between them. “If you’re just now realizing that, I think I’m a little concerned for you. Especially since you’ve been on constant diaper duty.”

 

“Stop.” Trini orders through a laugh. “I’m just saying that every time I look at him, I just can’t believe that he’s ours. That you two are  _mine_. I just never thought falling into a quarry would one day lead to me being the mother of such a cool kid.”

 

“And the wife of such a beautiful woman.” Kimberly teases through a yawn.

 

Trini rolls her eyes as she leans over Lincoln to hover over her wife before she drops a gentle kiss to her lips. For a moment, both women pause to think of how they’ll never get tired of these kisses, they’ll never tire of each other. With a sigh, Trini draws away and gently nudges their noses together before she looks down at Lincoln.

 

“Go to sleep, babe. I’ll get Link washed up and in bed.” Trini whispers.

 

“Mm, s’okay…I’ll do it.” Kimberly assures her with a sleepy expression as she sits up and rubs tiredly at her eyes. “Just give me two minutes and little prince will be safely set up in his crib.”

 

“On second thought.” Trini mutters as they both turn their gazes to see Lincoln already fast asleep with a peaceful expression. “We probably shouldn’t let him sleep in our bed…”

 

“Yeah, we don’t want him to get used to it.”

 

“And he’s so much older now, it’s probably too risky to let him sleep here.”

 

Both women smile adoringly down at their boy before they simply settle into their own sides of the bed. With a yawn, Trini scoots closer to her son as she and Kimberly stare down at him with love and devotion in their gazes.

 

“Goodnight, Lincoln.” Kimberly whispers. “Happy birthday.”


	10. i only wanna see you laughing in the rain

It rains all week.

 

The sudden burst of harsh lightning spins evenly through Trini’s room as she sits with her knees drawn to her chest. Sleep is a mere figment of her imagination at this point, and her body is cursing at her to just shut down and regroup. But she  _ can’t. _ Not with that golden smirk that lingers in the darkest parts of her nightmares, not when she wakes with a burn in her neck as she fumbles to cover scars that she scratches in her sleep. Trini can only imagine how she looks right now, a blanket draped over her head and a flashlight gripped tight in her fist as she shines it through her room.

 

The branches of the tree beside her window sway and knock against the window, scratch loudly along the glass. Trini wants it to stop, she feels like the room is closing around her. With a sharp breath, Trini fumbles from her bed and moves to throw her window open; she slips along the wet bark and barely notices the cuts she leaves on her hands and knees when she falls a few feet from the ground. The wind and rain sling hard against her body as she runs, and she feels like every step away from her bedroom is a step closer to safety.

 

Trini slides slightly in slick mud as she reaches her destination, and her fist fumbles against cold glass until she sees wide, sleepy brown eyes. It takes a second for the gaze to really register what it sees, and Trini blows out a relieved breath as hands scramble to open the window before she tumbles forward into the room and into a strong set of arms. For a moment, the pair stands there before one arm reaches out to close the window while the other winds protectively around Trini.

 

“You’re dirty.”

 

Trini gives a wet laugh, “Thanks for pointing that out, Billy.”

 

“Are you okay? I-I could sense something was off with one us but I didn’t wanna wake anyone up. I guess I should’ve.” Billy mumbles as he pulls away from Trini. “I need to get you a towel and band aids. Un-Unless you want to shower.”

 

“A warm shower sounds amazing right now.” Trini breathes out as she glances down at her bare thighs and feet. “I just...I had to get out of my house and I didn’t even think to grab shoes.”

 

“Or pants for that matter.” Billy shrugs as he leads her towards the bathroom. “There’s extra towels under the sink, just don’t use the red one cause that Jason’s.”

 

Trini finds it in herself to muster up one of her teasing smirks, “Oh? I didn’t realize the two of you were serious enough to be storing towels at each other’s houses. Does he have a toothbrush too?”

 

“Yes.” Billy nods.

 

With that, Billy ducks out of the bathroom and Trini finally processes the chill in her bones as she slips out her wet clothes. The shower warms her immediately and Trini tilts her head back as her eyes close and she tries to remind herself to breath, she reminds herself that Billy is on the other side of the door. But even with that thought, she still sees the flash of golden claws behind her eyelids and suddenly the shower is the last place she really wants to be.

 

Trini wraps a thick towel around her form before she pokes her head out the door to see Billy fiddling with his phone, “Can I borrow some clothes?”

 

“Oh. Yes. Of course.” Billy frowns as he stands from his bed and hurries to his closet. “I-I texted Kim. Well, she texted  _ me _ asking if I was okay and I told her you were here, she’s on her way.”

 

Trini cringes but manages a nod before she accepts the clothes Billy offers her. Trini pulls the sweatpants on and thinks of her girlfriend, she had been trying to avoid bothering Kimberly with this. Kimberly has sat with her through one too many panic attacks, she’s wiped one too many tears. She just wants Kimberly to be able to sleep for one night that isn’t ruined by nightmares.

 

“Trini?”

 

“Did you  _ fly  _ here?” Trini scoffs as she slips the large shirt over her head before she throws the bathroom door open only to pause. “What’s going on?”

 

“Turns out we were all scrambling to figure out who was upset. I woke up cold, Zack was having an anxiety attack when I got to him.” Jason frowns as he rubs tiredly at his eyes. “Kim texted us, apparently she was halfway to your house.”

 

“I could feel that you were upset. I tried calling and when you didn’t pick up…” Kimberly trails off and the loud clap of thunder finishes the words that rest on the tip of her tongue.

 

“I’m very tired.” Billy declares.

 

Zack grunts in agreement as he grabs a blanket from Billy’s bed and sprawls himself across a green shaggy carpet, “Now that I know you guys are good, I’m going to sleep.”

 

Jason and Billy mumble something to each other, and Trini smiles softly when the pair crawl into the bed and fold into each other. Kimberly draws her from her thoughts as cold fingers glide over her arm and down to twine their fingers before she guides Trini towards the couch. Like so many times before, Kimberly falls back onto the lumpy furniture and tugs at Trini’s hand until she is draped over her girlfriend with her head tucked under her chin.

 

“You didn’t call me.” Kimberly whispers.

 

Trini swallows and closes her eyes, “I didn’t want to bother you. I’m always crawling through your window, I don’t want you to get sick of me. I mean,  _ I’d  _ be sick of me.”

 

“I could never be sick of you.” Kimberly assures her, and her grip on Trini tightens as lightning glows through the room. “Me being there for you is part of being in a relationship, it’s called being a good girlfriend. I’m here, babe. Always.”

 

“I hate the rain.” Trini murmurs after a breath of silence. “She took that from me too. I used to love storms.”

 

“We can learn to love them again,” Kimberly offers as she plays with the waistband of the loose sweatpants. “We can dance in the rain, slow dance to the cheesiest love songs. We could have a Notebook styled kiss in the middle of the storm. We could have sex in the back of my car…”

 

“Romantic.” Trini snorts.

 

“We’ll love storms again, some day we’ll be able to sleep through them.” Kimberly whispers. “But until then, I’m here to hold you. And I won’t let go until you say so.”

  
Trini wants to match Kimberly’s cheesy romance with something sarcastic, but instead she settles into Kimberly’s chest and closes her eyes. The exhaustion pours through her body until her heavy eyes close and she curls a fist in Kimberly’s shirt to ensure she’ll stay. Nightmares still dance behind her eyelids and hands grapple around her neck, but this time Kimberly is always there in those dark moments to safe her. Again and again she saves Trini in her dreams, and slowly but surely she saves her in reality day by day.


	11. i'd paint you brighter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm definitely not crazy about this one. Hope y'all enjoy it though!

“We can’t stay here all day, Trinity.”

 

Chubby cheeks are wet with tears and innocent brown eyes turn to look at her mother, “But we have to wait for abuela to wake up, Mama. If we go without her she’ll be here all alone.”

 

“Oh, mija,” June sighs as she squats beside her daughter who stares at the white casket in pure confusion. “Abuela isn’t taking a nap, Trinity. Remember how your papa and I told you that abuela was going to go see the angels soon?”

 

“Uh huh.” Trini nods.

 

“Well, she’s playing with the angels now and the only way for her to do that was for her to get a beautiful pair of wings.” June explains as she smooths a hand over Trini’s cheek. “But her body couldn’t hold the wings so God gave her a new body, and that body is with Him.”

 

“So, she’s never coming back?” Trini demands.

 

“No, but she’ll be watching over you.” June assures her as she points towards the dreary sky. “Do you see that rainbow? That is your abuela watching over you.”

 

Trini sniffles as she collapses into her mother’s arms and snuggles against her as June stands, “I don’t want abuela to be a rainbow, I want her to be abuela without her wings.”

 

June settles kiss against Trini’s hair and walks away; Trini doesn’t stop glaring at the rainbow until it finally disappears within the clouds.

 

-

 

“I’m not wearing it.” Trini huffs.

 

“Trinity, let’s not be difficult.” Mrs. Carlton pleads as she looks at the six-year-old who simply glares back in defiance. “Every girl is wearing the tutus, and you can’t be the only one who doesn’t.”

 

Trini folds her arms over her chest and turns her head, “Watch me. I’m _not_ wearin’ it.”

 

“It’s a beautiful tutu…”

 

“It’s rainbow and rainbows are _stupid._ I wanna wear the yellow one.” Trini snaps as she looks to the other heap of tutus.

 

Mrs. Carlton shakes her head, “Fine. Wear the yellow one.”

 

Trini beams happily at her victory and finally shimmies her tutu on before she stares down at the puffy material; she suddenly decides that yellow is her favorite color.

 

-

 

“What’s that mean?”

 

“Hey, you.”

 

“Hi, Uncle Hernando.” Trini chirps before she lifts a hand and points at the sticker. “What does that sticker mean?”

 

Hernando tenses as he glances at the sticker on his fridge, “It’s just a sticker somebody bought me. You’re too little to understand, some day I’ll be able to explain it.”

 

“I am _not_ little. I’m eight.” Trini snaps as she folds her arms over her chest with a scowl. “Why does the sticker have a rainbow on it? And why does it say gay is okay? What does that mean?”

 

Hernando sighs as he kneels in front of his niece with an adoring smile, “Sometimes I forget how fast you’re growing up. So, now that you’re a grown up you can keep a secret…right?”

 

“I can keep _all_ the secrets.” Trini nods.

 

“Well, okay then.” Hernando chuckles as he stands and scoops Trini up before he moves towards the sticker. “Does your mami read you stories about princesses and princes falling in love?”

 

“Sometimes.” Trini mumbles before she scrunches her nose. “I like Harry Potter better.”

 

“Of course you do.” Hernando grins. “Well, I’m a prince but…”

 

“You’re not a _prince_ , you’re a teacher.” Trini scoffs with a roll of her eyes.

 

“You are too much like my sister.” Hernando mumbles before he blows out a breath. “Okay, I’m a teacher who fell in love with a prince. I don’t like princesses.”

 

Trini furrows her brow, “What’s gay mean?”

 

“It means that instead of liking girls I like boys. I-I want to marry a boy some day instead of marrying a girl.” Hernando explains before he looks to his silent niece. “It doesn’t make sense, huh?”

 

“Gay is okay.” Trini shrugs as she points to the sticker.

 

Hernando laughs and kisses her head, “Don’t ever change a thing about yourself, Trini.”

 

“I don’t like the rainbow though.” Trini mumbles.

 

“And why not?” Hernando asks.

 

Trini stares at the sticker and shrugs, “I just don’t.”

 

-

 

The brush is cold against her skin and Trini fights back a shiver. The soft strokes continue until the girl beside her giggles; Kenzi Tucker is Trini’s first crush. Or at least she thinks she is. Trini gets that weird feeling in her stomach whenever Kenzi is around, and she likes whenever their hands brush. It’s like all the movies she’s seen, and it terrifies Trini. Kenzi is a _girl._  Liking Kenzi means she’d be like her uncle Hernando, and Trini hasn’t seen or heard from him since he admitted he was gay at Thanksgiving dinner.

 

Although Trini feels a little sick as she thinks of her uncle, that familiar giggle snaps her from the stormy thoughts and she turns to look at Kenzi. Blue eyes are bright with excitement as she holds out a mirror so Trini can look at the painting on her cheek. The second the wet spot comes into view, Trini is quick to reach up and wipe it away; it’s a _rainbow._ All seven colors are now smeared into a mess of a blur and she turns to glare at Kenzi.

 

“I’m going home.”

 

“Trini, wait,” Kenzi frowns as she watches her best friend fumble off the bed. “Why are you so mad? It’s just a rainbow.”

 

Trini narrows her eyes, “I don’t _like_ rainbows.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“They’re gay.” Trini growls as she snatches her backpack from the floor before she looks to Kenzi with fire in her gaze. “I’m not a _fag_.”

 

Trini leaves Kenzi and storms from the house, her feet pound heavy on the sidewalk as she races home. Her dark bangs are plastered with sweat once she finally bursts through the front door, and June immediately stands from where she is playing with Mateo and Alec. The woman moves towards her daughter and Trini scowls as she shrugs off her backpack and looks up at her worried mother.

 

“Mija, what’s wrong?” June asks as she reaches out to tilt Trini’s head before her brow furrows at the smear of paint. “What’s that?”

 

“Kenzi painted a rainbow on my face, and I told her I didn’t like it because it’s gay.” Trini replies with a huff to her tone. “I don’t want to play with Kenzi anymore after school.”

 

June nods and cups a hand under her daughter’s chin, “That’s fine, sweetheart. I’m proud of you. Come on, let’s go wash your face and get you some ice cream.”

 

Trini trails her mother and thinks about Kenzi and how her little ten-year-old self just messed everything up; she forgets all about it when their family packs up and moves a month later.

 

-

 

Her first kiss is with some kid named Steven. It’s disgusting. She feels sick as soon as he pulls away, and the noise of disgust she makes doesn’t go unnoticed by everyone. Trini is thirteen and everything in her life feels so _wrong_ ; she supposes it’s only fair that her first kiss goes wrong since everything else does.

 

“Steven, are you that bad at kissing?”

 

Steven flushes, “No. She’s just a _freak._ ”

 

“Maybe it’s cause she doesn’t like kissing  _boys._ know she has a crush on Cassidy. Don’t you, Didi? You stare at her all the time.” Jessica giggles, and everyone is quick to join in.

 

Trini calls her a bitch, and leaves the party with laughter following her. On Monday, after a weekend full of self loathing, she walks into the school and feels eyes on her. She can already tell something is about to shatter, she can only guess it’s her. And the second she reaches her locker and sees the rainbow stickers all over it she feels the glass around her break and all she can do is stand there and hope she doesn’t get cut.

 

-

 

Trini changes everything about herself once her parents start suspecting there might be something _different_ about her. She tries to act normal, she tries to be the perfect daughter they always imagined but she can’t. So, they rip her from every town they can in hopes that her staying unrooted will keep her from really exploring who she is. It’s not till she lands in Angel Grove that her shell shatters and she is forced to accept four people into her life.

 

She comes out to them tentatively, when she says it, it’s almost as if it’s a question. But they don’t care, they don’t look at her any different. For the first week, they go out of their way to show their support and it annoys Trini just a little bit; Jason actually bought a fucking bright ass rainbow sticker to put on the truck he’s still rebuilding. Billy has a supportive slogan sticker on his favorite binder. Zack has a rainbow flag tucked into his back pocket at all times. Kimberly doesn’t have anything, Trini knows that she gets it better than the guys do.

 

“Want me to burn Zack’s flag?” Kimberly asks over a donut one morning.

 

Trini snorts and stabs at her donut, “I don’t have the heart to tell them that I really fucking hate goddamn rainbows.”

 

“Why?”

 

“It’s kind of stupid.” Trini admits with a small wince as she looks away from Kimberly’s soft gaze. “It just seems like rainbows are never positive. Rainbows are like bad luck for me.”

 

“Can I tell you what I think?” Kimberly hums, and Trini continues to avoid eye contact as she nods. “I think you’ve just had bad _experiences_ with rainbows. Maybe someone will change that for you some day and you’ll like them again.”

 

Trini looks up at Kimberly and sees a smile on her face, and Trini swallows hard with a nod; yeah, maybe someday rainbows won’t be so bad.

 

-

 

It takes Trini about three months to find her uncle. She was so sure it’d be easy to hunt him down, but she only comes across him when she sees an article about Mexico’s movie star golden boy kissing another man. And that man is her uncle. They look so happy, and Trini wants that so badly for herself so she hunts him down and FaceTimes him one night when her parents are at her little brothers’ basketball game. He looks exactly like he did when she was a kid, but he looks so much more...content.

 

“I’ve been to three different schools already. Mom just keeps bumping me around.” Trini sighs as she stares at her uncle. “I-I haven’t even _officially_ come out to them, but they _know._ ”

 

“Are you afraid to come out?” Hernando frowns.

 

“Uncle Hernando, I haven’t heard from you since I was _nine_ because you came out.” Trini scoffs. “I can only imagine what will happen to me whenever I decide to tell them.”

 

“Trini, I left on my own free will.”

 

Trini pauses and gaps, “You _chose_ to leave?”

 

“Not everyone was accepting, of course. Your mother included.” Hernando sighs before he pulls his glasses off. “I was banned from seeing you, and that hurt. I wanted to start over so I moved here, and eventually met the love my life.”

 

“I thought…no one threw you out?” Trini whispers.

 

“No, but they weren’t accepting and I knew that staying would only be harmful.” Hernando explains as he pushes his glasses back on. “Trini, why now? Why did you look for me now?”

 

“I-I _think_ I might love someone…”

 

Hernando laughs, “You think?”

 

“Okay. I know I do. But she’s...she’s untouchable. She’s beautiful, smart, kind, and so much more than I deserve.” Trini murmurs. “I think she might like me back but I’m freaking out.”

 

“Take a breath.” Hernando orders, and he waits patiently for his niece to do as instructed. “Trini, all I can tell you is to be brave. Be open with your heart. Be honest with yourself. Don’t be afraid. You deserve to be happy.”

 

Trini ducks her head, “You think so?”

 

“I know so.” Hernando grins. “Now, get out of here and go get your girl. I expect regular updates, I’m not letting you slip out of my life again. My boyfriend is going to absolutely adore you.”

 

“I love you, Uncle Hernando.” Trini whispers.

 

Hernando blows her a kiss, “I love you, too.”

 

Trini ends the call and not even a minute passes before she gets a text from her uncle. He tells her to be brave and ends it with a rainbow emoji, and for the first time in a long time her stomach doesn’t turn at the sight of those seven bright colors.

 

-

 

There are color bombs _everywhere._ Everything is bright and happy, and Trini stands in the center of it with a bright smile. Floats slowly trek by and Trini watches them with wide eyes, and cups her hands over her mouth when she sees two men sharing a soft kiss. Hands slide to cup her hips and Trini looks over her shoulder with a smile, and Kimberly beams back with sun kissed cheeks.

 

“This is _amazing_!” Trini yells over the loud music.

 

Kimberly laughs and pecks her girlfriend on her head, “Told you that you’d love it. The boys are having a good time too.”

 

Zack runs by them in a pair of black booty shorts with a cape representing the pansexual colors knotted around his neck, Jason is shirtless and has random handprints of color on his body and his hair is messy with spray paint, and Billy is bouncing around with headphones over his ears and an asexual bandana tied around his bicep. Trini furrows her brow as she notices that every Ranger is wearing their sexuality bands with pride, everyone but herself. After a moment, she slips out of Kimberly’s grasp and vanishes into the crowd.

 

She finds a booth pretty easy, but her hesitance to approach seems to catch the attention of the group manning it. They all look so _comfortable_ in their skin, and Trini barely feels like she fits in hers anymore. The happiness slips away slowly as she nervously approaches and she wonders if they can somehow see flashes of the homophobic things she has said and done in the past.

 

“Hi, beautiful!” A woman with pink braids beams at her and tilts her head. “Sugar, you look like you’re trying to disappear.”

 

“I-I uh I want a flag…”

 

“Is this your first pride?” A blonde asks as she gives Trini a comforting smile and watches as the teen nods. “Well, welcome. There’s no reason to be scared, kid. Nobody here is going to judge you, and if they do then I’ll kick their ass.”

 

Trini allows a smile to appear, “I’ve only been out for about a year. I mean, I’ve kinda always known but I came out to my parents and they flipped. My girlfriend thought that this would be a good idea, she wanted me to see that I’m not alone.”

 

“Your girlfriend sounds like a keeper.” The blonde chuckles as she reaches for a rainbow flag. “Don’t be afraid of who you are. If the people in your life can’t handle it then they don’t deserve you.”

 

“Thanks.” Trini mumbles.

 

Her hand lingers over the offered flag for a moment before she finally grabs a hold of the material. All of a sudden, it feels like a band around her has snapped and she can finally _breathe_. Trini beams brightly as she looks at the women at the booth for a moment longer before she opens the flag and drapes it over her head. With an excited whoop, Trini turns and hurries back into the excitement.

 

It takes her a while to fight her way through the crowd, and by the time she finds Kimberly the girl is stripped down to her pink sports bra. A laugh bubbles in her as she approaches slowly, the flag is falling in her eyes and she stumbles over it every few seconds but eventually she reaches Kimberly and beams up at her. All at once, Kimberly turns her attention away from the dancers and looks at her girlfriend with a breathless smile.

 

“Hey, there you are!” Kimberly grins as she reaches up to tug the flag from Trini’s face. “I really like your flag, babe.”

  
Trini ties it around her neck and folds into Kimberly’s arms with a smile, “Me too.”


	12. for you i'd wait forever

Kimberly watches Trini with a soft smile; Trini currently has Zack in a headlock while he squirms and squeals. After a moment, she pushes him away with a victorious wink and playfully flexes her muscles. Kimberly can’t help but laugh softly, and she chokes on the noise as brown eyes meet hers and Trini flashes her a blinding smile before she slowly walks over.

 

“See something you like, princess?” Trini purrs.

 

“Maybe.” Kimberly shrugs.

 

Trini arches an eyebrow and licks her lips as she scans Kimberly over, “Well, _I_ definitely see something I like.”

 

“Cute.” Kimberly whispers as she ducks her head.

 

“Hey, hey,” Trini scoffs as she presses her fingertips to Kimberly’s lips before her eyes narrow. “I have a date to take you on first, princess. No kisses until you have wined and dined me.”

 

Kimberly feels her cheeks heat up and she can only imagine how ridiculous she looks with her blush and wide eyes. The color darkens as soon as Trini grins and pulls her hand away with a wink, and Kimberly has a hard time mumbling a goodbye as she watches Trini move to scoop up her bag. Suddenly, Kimberly feels like the cave walls are closing in on her as she hurries to grab Jason.

 

“You. Me. My house. _Now._ ”

 

-

 

“Are you really that nervous?”

 

“Look, _you_ have no right to judge me. You were just as nervous for your first date with Billy.” Kimberly snaps as she hastily runs her fingers through her styled locks. “I just want to hurry up and get this all over with.”

 

“You want to get your first date with Trini over with already?” Jason scoffs as he mashes the buttons on the Xbox controller while Kimberly groans. “It’s just Trini. I don’t get why you’re freaking out like this. You never get nervous.”

 

“That is _why_ I’m nervous. It’s Trini. I like her, Jace. A lot. What if I mess things up? What if I say something that scares her off?” Kimberly exclaims as she paces the length of her bedroom. “What if it doesn’t work out?”

 

“Kim, you’re overthinking things.” Jason sighs with an amused shake of his head before he pauses the game to look towards his best friend. “The date is gonna go perfect, you just need to take a deep breath and relax.”

 

“I don’t think relaxing is an option at this point. I’ve gotta go. Shut the window all the way when you leave.” Kimberly orders as she grabs her purse and phone. “Tell me I’ve got this.”

 

“You got this.” Jason chuckles. “Good luck.”

 

-

 

Sweat pools in the palms of her hands and she is quick to drag them over her jeans as she tries to calm her breathing. She can’t quite understand why she’s freaking out, this _thing_ between her and Trini has been bubbling for months and she has been waiting for this day; part of her is still in shock that it’s even happening.

 

Kimberly just can’t grasp that, after waiting for so long, she is finally taking Trini on that date. Part of her kinda knows this isn’t really their _first_ date, this is just the first time they’ve put a label on it. She refuses to push aside the nights of swimming in her lake, the early mornings in Krispy Kreme, and random afternoon walks; she refuses to discredit all those moments.

 

“You’ve got this, Hart. You’re amazing.”

 

The door of her car slams louder than ever and her stomach swirls painfully with butterflies as she walks up to the front door of the Gomez household. Kimberly can feel her heart dancing against her chest as she skips up the steps and pauses in front of the door. For a moment, she stares. Kimberly stares until the door swings open and she is met with a frazzled Trini.

 

“You’re early.” Trini scolds as she crinkles her nose while Kimberly smiles adoringly. “I haven’t done my makeup or my hair, and I need to get dressed.”

 

“I can wait.” Kimberly assures her, and slowly the nerves leave her as she stares into those familiar trusting brown eyes. “Go finish up, and I’ll just hang out in the living room.”

 

“Shouldn’t we wait till the end of the date to decide whether or not you’re allowed in my house?” Trini teases as she turns her back to Kimberly who rolls her eyes as she follows her into the house. “But seriously, I’ll be done soon.”

 

“I’ll wait as long as I have to.”

 

Trini grins sheepishly before she disappears upstairs, and once she is out of sight the nerves return and Kimberly’s smile dims. It amazes her the effect Trini has on her, and she isn’t sure she’ll ever get used to it; nobody has ever held this much of her heart, nobody has ever been the center of her universe before.

 

“Why are you freaking out? This is Trini. You’ve got this, you’ve _totally_ got this.” Kimberly mumbles as she drops onto the couch. “You’re Kimberly Ann Hart and you’re not afraid of anything. So, stop being afraid. You’ve _got_ this.”

 

“And here I thought _Trini_ was the crazy one.”

 

Kimberly jumps and looks over the back of the couch to see a sleepy eyed Zack slowly pattering towards her, “What…?”

 

“Your girl was going crazy, she tried to be suave in the pit but she freaked out the second she got home. She made me come over and help her pick out an outfit.” Zack yawns. “You excited?”

 

“Something like that.” Kimberly nods while Zack grins as he makes his way over to the couch and drops beside her while his head falls comfortably on her shoulder. “If you drool on me, I’m going to be upset. This jacket was not cheap.”

 

“Mm.” Zack groans as he lifts his head and scans his eyes over Kimberly’s face before he smirks. “You look almost as nervous as Trini did an hour ago, I don’t know why you guys are so worried. Everything is going to be fine.”

 

“Yeah. I know.”

 

“But you don’t believe it.” Zack scoffs with an amused glare. “Kimberly, you and Trini have been dancing around this for awhile, it was only a matter of time before you two stopped being so fucking dumb and got together.”

 

“I know. I just don’t want to mess it up.” Kimberly shrugs as she bounces her knee and glances over at Zack who wears a bored expression. “You don’t even care, do you? You think, just like Jason, that everything is going to go off without a hitch and I’m worrying for nothing.”

 

“Bingo.” Zack mumbles.

 

“Ready?”

 

Kimberly looks over her shoulder and everything disappears as she stares at Trini; she is so used to seeing Trini in jeans or yoga pants, but tonight she has opted for a fitted sundress covered with a leather jacket. With a look of awe, Kimberly stands from the couch and once again runs her hands over her jeans while Zack snickers.

 

“You look beautiful.” Kimberly murmurs as she runs her gaze over Trini’s loose waves and the flush that colors her cheeks. “Wow, Trini.”

 

“Thanks, Kim.” Trini whispers as she looks at Kimberly in her form fitting jeans and blouse. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

 

“Do I need to give you two speeches about treating each other right? Or the sex talk?” Zack demands as he folds his arms over his broad chest. “I want to make sure you guys are home on time, no later than midnight.”

 

“Go home.” Trini snorts.

 

Kimberly laughs softly before she steps forward to offer her hand, and Trini immediately interlaces their fingers. Zack waves them off and Trini follow Kimberly to the car, and arches an eyebrow in surprise when the passenger door is opened for her before Kimberly jogs around to slide into the driver’s seat with a harsh breath.

 

Trini smirks as she eyes Kimberly, “Your hand was sweaty.”

 

“I’m sorry, I’m really nervous.” Kimberly admits with an awkward giggle while Trini furrows her brow in confusion. “You make me nervous, I don’t want to mess this date up. Jason kept on telling me that everything is going to be fine, but I’m terrified that I’m going to do something wrong.”

 

“Hey, it’s me. Just take a breath, Kim.” Trini orders as she shifts to face Kimberly before she reaches to squeeze her hand and Kimberly settles. “It’s just you and me, Kimberly. It’s okay.”

 

  
“Yeah.” Kimberly breathes out as she looks at Trini before she laces their fingers and brings their conjoined hands to their lips. “Finally. Me and you.”


	13. i'm only here for a good time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I apologize in advance for this one, it came out of nowhere. I saw Wonder Woman today, and all I know is I wanted to write something involving Wonder Woman.

“Once more.”

 

Swords clash together, and a small frame slides beneath the swing of metal as she slams an elbow into her attacker’s stomach. The fight continues on with harsh blows until a sword is knocked to the ground, and a blade presses loosely to a throat that bobs with irritation. After a moment, a wristband connects hard with the sword and the body rolls from beneath the attack before they manage to grab their own weapon.

 

“Excellent work, darling.” Diana Prince pants as she reaches a hand out to help the teenage girl to her feet. “You were much stronger with your attack this time, less hesitation. Your balance is off, that is my only line of criticism.”

 

“Go again?”

 

“Are you not yet tired?” Diana asks as she tilts her head and watches the teen swing her sword. “Trinity, are you sure?”

 

“I’m your kid, I don’t get tired.” Trini reminds her with a small look of amusement. “So, are we going to go again or not?”

 

“I think we shall call it a night.” Diana declares as she lowers her weapon and watches Trini roll her eyes in response. “What is going on in that head of yours, little one?”

 

“Nothing important.” Trini mumbles as she gives a weak shrug. “Just thinking about all of this. You know, me being a blob of clay or whatever.”

 

“Your thoughts are important, Trinity. Never disregard them.” Diana scolds. “You were brought into this world because I desired the idea of being a mother. Just as Queen Hippolyta, your grandmother, wished for a child and thus I was born.”

 

“I’ve heard this story a thousand times.”

 

Diana sighs as she stares at her daughter, “You used to enjoy hearing the story of how you were born. What has changed?”

 

“Well, I’m not five so that could be part of it. Mom, I’m not a kid anymore.” Trini mumbles as she drops the sword in her hand. “I don’t _want_ to be this. I don’t want to be Wonder Girl.”

 

“I imagine that we can find a name that suits you better, my love.” Diana teases as she collects the abandoned weapon. “If you do not wish to be a warrior then what do you want for yourself? I will give you whatever you ask of me.”

 

“I want to leave Gotham.” Trini declares as she turns to face her mother. “I want to pull out a map and close my eyes, and then I want to point to a town that we’ll move to and just…be normal.”

 

Diana shakes her head as she moves to cup her daughter’s chin, “You were not brought into this world to be normal.”

 

“Do you love me?” Trini asks.

 

“How can you even ask me something like that? There is no one in this world that I could ever love more than you.” Diana assures her. “You are my greatest creation, and you were something that I fought my hardest for.”

 

“I know, Mom.” Trini nods as she wraps her arms around Diana’s waist and drops her head to her chest. “All I’m asking is for a chance to just live outside of this world.”

 

Diana is silent for a moment before she drops her head to settle a kiss on Trini’s head, “Whatever you desire, I will give it to you. Go find a map and we’ll get started.”

 

-

 

**One Year Later**

 

“You cheated.”

 

Diana scoffs and furrows her brow, “I did no such thing.”

 

“That’s the _fifth_ time you’ve beat me.” Trini huffs as she glares at the chess board. “The only explanation is that you’re _cheating_.”

 

Diana shakes her head as she looks to the pouting teen before she pushes herself from her chair with a smile, “Reset the board, I’ll be back.”

 

Trini watches as her mother crosses the Krispy Kreme to refill their coffees; a smile slowly slides across her face as she fixes the chess pieces and thinks of how things have been. It’s been an entire year of silence, besides the occasional disturbance that required her mother to leave, but Trini has found a home and safety in Angel Grove. It was a small town filled with _regular_ people, and Trini finally feels like she can breathe.

 

Of course Trini knows about the things that goes on around this town and that things aren’t completely normal, but nothing is as bad as Gotham. Around Angel Grove, there are five heroes called Power Rangers; Trini thinks it’s almost as lame as _Superman_. Time and time again she has watched the Rangers defend the town, and time and time again her mother has begged her to join them. But Trini refuses, the only way she’ll ever put on the mask her mother gave her is if her mother herself was in danger.

 

The bell chimes overhead and Trini glances towards the door in time to watch as Jason Scott walks through with his little group of misfit friends followed by a herd of football players harassing them. The irritation settles low in her stomach when she hears the jocks catcall and jeer at her mother as they walk to their booth, but Jason is quick to shove them ahead before he veers off towards Trini’s table with a sheepish expression.

 

“Sorry about that.” Jason mumbles.

 

Trini looks up at him and shrugs, “It is what is, my mom is kinda used to it. Not that it justifies it. Your friends are pigs though.”

 

“Those guys are _not_ my friends anymore. They are my friends.” Jason sneers as he gestures to where Tommy Oliver, Zack Taylor, Billy Cranston, and Kimberly Hart sit. “They’re so much cooler anyway, Billy blows stuff up.”

 

“So I’ve heard.” Trini snorts.

 

Jason smiles and tugs his backpack strap up his shoulder, “Anyway, I’ll see you this Saturday?”

 

“Yup. Ten on the dot.” Trini nods.

 

“Hello, Jason.” Diana smiles as she approaches the table and sets Trini’s coffee in front of her. “How are you today?”

 

“I’m doing great, Ms. Prince. Thanks. Anyway, just wanted to pop over and say hi to Trini. I’ll leave you guys to your game.” Jason says as he gives a nod and a small salute.

 

Diana watches him go with a fond look before she turns her attention back to Trini, “He is a very lovely boy, Trinity.”

 

“Yeah. He’s not so bad.” Trini shrugs as she reaches to move a pawn.

 

“I do prefer him over Tommy.” Diana admits as she observes the board for a moment. “You should spend more time with him, my love. He has a warrior’s heart, and a leader’s brain.”

 

Trini huffs, “Tommy isn’t that bad.”

 

“You have been placed in a weekly detention due to the activities the two of you participated in together. As _entertaining_ as it may have been, you using your abilities like that was reckless.” Diana scolds as she finally reaches for her knight.

 

“I know, Mom.” Trini grumbles. “We’ve been over this a thousand times.”

 

“Then we shall go over it _again_.” Diana hums.

 

Trini fights a smile as she sees the small spark of mirth in her mother’s strong gaze, “You gotta admit that putting his car of the roof was a classic.”

 

Diana finally cracks out a smile that she quickly hides behind the rim off her coffee cup, “Take your turn, Trinity.”

 

Trini watches her mother with a lopsided grin and can’t help but think that moving to Angel Grove is the best thing to happen to her.

 

-

 

“You hang out with Trini right?”

 

Tommy ducks Kimberly’s punch, “Trini Prince?”

 

“No, some other girl named Trini.” Kimberly scoffs as she drops to her hands and sweeps Tommy’s legs from beneath her. “Yes, Trini Prince.”

 

“Yeah. You know I do. My dad and Jason’s mom work with her mom at the paper.” Tommy shrugs as she heaves herself to her feet. “Why does it matter to _you_? You’ve barely spoken two words to her.”

 

“She’s cute.” Kimberly mutters.

 

Tommy arches an eyebrow as she shifts back into a fighting stance, “Are you trying to imply you have a thing for Trini? After all this time? What do you want _me_ to do about it? Set you guys up?”

 

“Oh my God, don’t make it seem like I’ve completely _ignored_ her existence since she moved here. I’ve noticed her, I just...haven’t done anything about it. Like I said, she’s cute.” Kimberly sighs as she dodges a cross from Tommy.

 

“You do know her mom is like _insanely_ protective of her, right? You’ll probably think defeating Rita was a cakewalk compared to meeting Ms. Prince.” Tommy smirks. “Not only is that woman drop dead gorgeous but she’s intimidating as fuck.”

 

“I’m not looking to ask for Trini’s hand in marriage. I haven’t even asked her out yet.” Kimberly snaps as she lands a kick into Tommy’s side. “Look, I like her. She’s cool.”

 

“Good luck, dude.” Tommy laughs.

 

Kimberly pouts, “Can’t you put a good word in for me?”

 

“You called her Didi once, she still talks about it. She was _pissed_.” Tommy warns. “I’ll put in a good word, but it probably won’t do much.”

 

Kimberly sulks in defeat, and Tommy finally lands a punch that knocks her on her back. For a moment, she lays there and resides herself to the fact that her chances with Trini were slim to none.

 

-

 

Trini has a small crush on Kimberly Hart. Alright, it’s not exactly _small_ but she hasn’t acted on it so she applauds herself for that. She isn’t big on getting attached, and she definitely doesn’t want anyone stumbling upon her mother’s well kept secret. So, Trini keeps her distance, ignores her feelings, and moves on; it really is a simple rinse and repeat motion she goes through. But like so many times before, the Gods look down upon her and completely fuck up her plan.

 

“Trini! Hi!”

 

“Son of Aries.” Trini murmurs under her breath as she turns her head to see Kimberly move towards her. “Um. Hi. Kimberly?”

 

“Right.”

 

Trini blinks as Kimberly stands before her with her books cradled to her chest and a bright smile on her face, “So uh is there anything I can help you with or did you…?”

 

“I’m sorry I called you Didi.” Kimberly blurts out, and her smile dims as her cheeks flush. “And I’m sorry I pretended like I didn’t know that we shared Bio. I-I know we do. I _knew_ we did.”

 

“Alright. Um, I accept your apology and raise it with one of my own,” Trini begins as she swings her locker open. “I’m sorry that I crashed your study date with everyone and made it awkward.”

 

“It wasn’t awkward. You didn’t make it awkward. I’d say _I_ made it awkward. Wow, awkward sounds _really_ weird now.” Kimberly murmurs as she drops her head subtly and furrows her brow. “Awkward...awkward. Yeah. Really weird now.”

 

“You’re weird.” Trini chuckles as she reaches into the locker to grab her binder. “And that’s coming from someone whose mom speaks like she is married to Shakespeare.”

 

“Oh.” Kimberly frowns.

 

“It’s kind of cute.” Trini shrugs as she finally grabs a hold of the red binder. “ _You_ are kind of cute. But that’s just between you and me.”

 

Kimberly tilts her head, “So, are we cool?”

 

“Um,” Trini blinks in surprise at the question and she pauses to turn and look at Kimberly. “I didn’t know that we weren’t?”

 

“Wait...but Tommy made it seem…” Kimberly trails off and flushes as she awkwardly shifts and glances down the hallway. “Never mind.”

 

“What did Tommy say?” Trini asks with a look of slight amusement. “Look, you’ve known her longer than I have so you had to have noticed that the girl is a tad bit dramatic.”

 

“A tad?” Kimberly snorts. “She made it seem like you hate me.”

 

Trini slams her locker shut and looks at Kimberly with a scowl, “Who said I don’t?”

 

“I...um…”

 

“Relax, dude. I like you.” Trini assures her, and she can’t help but melt at Kimberly’s bashful grin. “I’ll see you around. Try not to listen to Tommy anymore, the girl is lowkey crazy.”

 

Trini turns to walk away, and she doesn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day; oh yeah, her crush on Kimberly was _definitely_ stronger than she thought.

 

-

 

“You don’t always have to go.” Trini snaps.

 

Diana looks at her daughter as she leans in the bedroom doorway, “Clark has asked for my help and that is what I’m giving him. Lois is set to meet me at the airport and she’ll have me flown home as soon as we are finished.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Trinity, I will be home before you even fall asleep tonight.” Diana assures her as she approaches her daughter and presses a kiss to her head. “Don’t do anything reckless.”

 

Trini sighs as Diana pulls away, “Love you.”

 

“I love you, too.”

 

With all her dramatic glory, Diana disappears. Trini wonders sometimes how her mother does it, how she just vanishes off and returns later without a single scratch. After a few hours of wallowing, Trini wanders off towards the park and curls her headphones over her eyes before she lays beneath a tree and stares up at the blue sky. The peace lasts for only a moment, it is shattered as she feels the ground shake.

 

“What the fuck?” Trini grumbles as she sits up and her eyes go wide before she quickly stumbles to her feet. “What the _fuck_?”

 

The smoke billows around the center of the town and Trini stares at it with wide, disbelieving eyes. She can hear the screams and she can see bodies scattering, and then she sees the stretch of colors flash by. The awe is clear on her face as she watches the dinosaur shaped ships easily tear at the monsters that grow from the bricks and stretch from the rubble of broken streets and walls; it’s clear to Trini that they’re a little outnumbered now.

 

Trini tilts her head back with a groan before she pinches the bridge of her nose, “Son of a _bitch._ ”

 

-

 

The Rangers fight with as much strength as they can muster. Their loyalty to each other, to their new lives, shine through as their Zords move gracefully through their city. Kimberly is swinging Zack’s Zord through the air when she sees the first blur of red, blue, and gold. For a moment, she thinks it’s a figment of her imagination up until she hears Billy excitedly yelling in their coms.

 

“Who is _that_? Is that a _sword_?” Billy exclaims.

 

Kimberly drops Zack’s Zord in the midst of a group of putties and she peeks down at the intruder to watch as they gracefully move through each rock monster with a quick slice of their sword. Kimberly is momentarily shocked into silence at the beauty of the woman, and she forgets for just a brief second that they are in the middle of a war.

 

“Is that Polly Pocket Prince?” Tommy demands.

 

“Trini?” Jason snaps. “No. No way.”

 

“Guys, that is most definitely Kim’s girl. I’d know those chubby cheeks anywhere.” Zack grunts. “And her boobs…”

 

“I will shoot you if you finish that sentence, Zack. Keep your mouth shut.” Kimberly growls as she loops her Zord around. “I’m going to go get her, we need to get her out of here.”

 

“What? No way! She’s kicking ass!” Zack cheers as he abandons his Zord in order to fight hand to hand combat. “We gotta help her though, these things are never ending.”

 

“Agreed. Rangers, let’s go!”

 

Tommy gives a whoop of happiness as she drops right onto the back of a putty while Billy lands gracefully a few feet away and fires a kick. Both Jason and Kimberly are a little more stealthy as they leave the safety of their Zords and disappear into the growing swarm of disaster. Like so many times before, they pick them off with ease but they find things move faster with Trini fighting a few feet away.

 

“Holy shit, she just got a thousand times hotter in my book,” Zack groans, and Kimberly continues to punch at a putty as he sighs. “She has a fucking _sword_. A sword!”

 

“Hey, I have a sword too.” Jason scoffs.

 

“But she’s like the mini version of Wonder Woman, dude. She’s...Wonder Girl.” Zack points out. “We should leak that name to the press.”

 

“There’s obviously a reason why she’s been hiding this, Zack,” Kimberly snaps as she slides between the legs of a putty. “Don’t even _think_ of mentioning her to the press.”

 

“Somebody is protective of their girl.” Tommy snorts.

 

“She isn’t my girl.” Kimberly growls, and she adds a little more power to her words as she slams a foot into a putty’s knee.

 

“Alright, alright. Damn. Well, go help your _not_ girl. They’re piling up over there.” Tommy notes before she grunts. “They’re piling up  _everywhere._ ”

 

Kimberly barely hears the rest of Tommy’s complaints as she turns to see Trini attempting to fight off the building herd of putties. With a determined glare, Kimberly takes off and easily breaks her way through each putty before she slides up behind one and breaks it to pieces in time to watch as Trini is charged at from behind.

 

“Hey, careful!” Kimberly calls, and she winces when her voices startles Trini enough to distract her. “You need some help?”

 

Trini is quick to look away as she slams her shield against a putty, “Nope. Go back to your flying machine, I got this.”

 

“I’ll have you know I can do hand to hand combat as well.” Kimberly scoffs as she ducks to avoid a rock fist that flies her way. “So, masked vigilante, where have you been for the last year and a half?”

 

“Oh, just watching you Power Rangers clean house and biting my time to steal the spotlight.” Trini replies before she grunts as a strong rock arm throws her a few feet away. “That wasn’t very nice.”

 

Kimberly is quick to destroy the putty before she rushes to offer her hand to Trini, “Oh yeah. These guys have _no_ manners.”

 

“So I see.” Trini grunts as she accepts the hand.

 

“You look like someone I know.” Kimberly hums as she dodges a kick, and puts her fist through a stomach of rock.

 

Trini smirks and slices through a leg, “And you _sound_ like someone I know.”

 

Kimberly is a little dumbfounded and she flounders to take out a putty, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know me.”

 

“Whatever you say, princess.” Trini laughs before she tosses Kimberly her shield and points a stern finger at her. “On the count of three, push your weight forward as hard as you can.”

 

Kimberly doesn’t have time to question why before Trini is backing up while counting down, and then suddenly her feet her on the shield before she launches herself into the center of a fight going on between six putties and Billy. Kimberly stands there with the shield in her hands and the complete awe hidden safely behind her mask.

 

“That was _so_ hot.” Kimberly murmurs.

 

“Keep it in your suit, Kim!” Zack laughs through the coms. “Come help us and your girl put these motherfuckers back in the ground.”

 

Kimberly shakes herself from her daze and nods eagerly, “On it.”

 

The fight seems better contained with Trini fighting alongside them, and Jason is a little amazed at how well they all fight together; it seems like Trini was always a missing part of their team. By the time the putties are dust at their feet, the town has crowded and Trini winces as she sees the flashes of phones. With a quick snap of her heel, she flips her shield into the safety of her grasp before she turns to see the Rangers approaching her.

 

“Well,” Trini sighs as she swings her sword into the safety of the sheath on her back. “As fun as this has been, I really must be going.”

 

“Thank you.” Jason says as he steps forward with his hand extended, and Trini reaches out to give it a firm shake. “We look forward to working with you again in the future.”

 

“Damn. No need to make it so serious. Lighten up a little.” Trini laughs as she releases his hand and salutes the team with a smirk. “See you around, Power Rangers!”

 

“Wow.” Kimberly breathes out as Trini rushes away in time to avoid the sudden swarm of media. “Now _that_ is my kind of woman.”

 

-

 

“Thank Zeus.”

 

Trini smiles at the sight of her mother as she carefully closes the front door behind herself, “You’re back.”

 

“Are you alright, Trinity? I wasn’t needed in National City as presumed so I came home to find Angel Grove in partial ruins and my daughter in the middle of it all.” Diana demands as she brushes forward to carefully remove Trini’s mask. “Were you injured?”

 

“Is it _possible_ for me to be injured?” Trini frowns.

 

“Trinity.” Diana snaps.

 

“Mom. No. I’m fine. Stop freaking out.” Trini sighs with a roll of her eyes. “I did what you’ve been training me for, I defended my town. All is well. Happy ever after. The evil is defeated. Peace is restored. Blah blah blah.”

 

“I am so proud of you.” Diana whispers as she reaches out to wipe a mark of soot from Trini’s cheek. “You were very brave out there, Trinity. Is this something you wish to continue?”

 

Trini scowls, “Saving Angel Grove’s ass? No.”

 

“Language.” Diana scolds.

 

“Sorry. But no, the uh the Power Rangers have it covered. I’ll just be there for backup.” Trini shrugs before she winces. “Can I put my stuff up? This shield is getting heavy.”

 

Diana shakes her head as she reaches to take the shield from her dramatic daughter, “I say we celebrate this victory with ice cream.”

 

“Chocolate? With chocolate syrup and whip cream? And extra cherries?” Trini demands as she begins to strip from her wrist bands.

 

“As you wish.” Diana laughs. “Go change.”

 

When Trini was born, Diana changed. For so long she believed she was put on this world to protect it, and part of her knows she really  _was,_ but the second she held her daughter all of that changed. The second Trini opened her eyes, the first time she smiled, the first time she said mama, the first step she took, the first time she picked up a sword, the first time she sparred...those were all the moments that mattered to Diana now.

 

And as her daughter grows into a little warrior, Diana’s love and pride grows with her.

 

-

 

Saturday detention is a little awkward.

 

The Rangers can’t stop looking at Trini, can’t keep the memories of her effortless moves from their heads. Zack begged Zordon to let them tell Trini who they were, but he was shut down immediately. As the class nears its end, Trini finally looks up and glares at Billy who gaps for a moment before he quickly drops his attention to his homework while Zack continues to stare.

 

“ _What_?” Trini growls.

 

Zack smirks and shrugs, “So, what were you doing on the day that big group of rock monsters attacked Angel Grove?”

 

“Subtle.” Tommy mumbles.

 

Trini tenses as she sees the five curious gazes and then a smug grin appears on her face, “I’ll tell you where _I_ was if you tell me where _you_ were.”

 

That silences them all instantly.

 

“So, princess,” Trini grins as she props her head in her hand. “Wanna trade war stories over some donuts and coffee?”

 

“War stories?” Kimberly repeats.

 

“I’m sure you have tons of stories. Or we could do boring small talk. What’s your favorite color? _Pink_? Yellow?” Trini teases, and she chuckles as Kimberly flushes. “You up for it?”

 

“I think that would be _wonderful._ ” Kimberly breathes out with a challenging smile. “Say, do you take martial arts? With arms like that, you’ve gotta be doing _something_. Sword fighting maybe?”

 

Tommy rolls her eyes as she looks to Jason, “How long do you think it’ll be before they finally just tell each other?”

  
“I give it till the end of the day.” Jason sighs as he watches Kimberly and Trini lean closer together while trading horrible puns. “So much for following Zordon’s rules.”


	14. when you smile i fall apart (Wonder Woman verse)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This grew into something else entirely, but I'm quite pleased with the outcome. I do adore writing this verse, it's a lot of fun. This chapter obviously is like a prologue to the previous chapter. Hope y'all enjoy it :) lemme know if there's anything else y'all wanna see in this verse!

Trinity Prince is brought into the world on the coldest day of the year. With soft tufts of dark hair and brown eyes, she steals Diana’s heart and wraps her easily around her tiny finger. For the first time since Steve’s death, Diana feels like there is so much more to this world than fighting to keep its order; for the first time ever, Diana knows that she has so much more to fight for.

 

“Hello, little one.” Diana whispers as she touches the tip of her finger against Trini’s button nose. “You are just as beautiful as I dreamed for you to be. Welcome to the world, my Trinity.”

 

-

 

Kimberly Hart is born on a burning hot evening in June. Her screams are loud and demanding, and Madeline and Edwin cringe but they still hold her and look down at her with so many promises in their eyes. They plan to give their little girl the life neither of them had, they plan to give her the best parts of them. With a smile, Edwin sweeps his daughter from her white crib and watches as her thick lashes flutter before she opens her eyes to stare up at him.

 

“She is so beautiful, Maddy.” Edwin grins as he bounces the newborn who arches her eyebrows while she squirms sleepily. “Do you hear that, my sweet Kimmy? You are the world’s most beautiful girl. Someday you are going to give the world the best parts of you, and I’ll be so proud.”

 

Madeline moves to rest her head on Edwin’s bicep and smile at her daughter, “She really is perfect, isn’t she? Our perfect thing.”

 

“Our perfect thing.” Edwin repeats with a firm nod.

 

-

 

A smile slides along Diana’s face as she looks away from her tablet and to where her daughter sleeps peacefully in the little cot beside her desk. Motherhood has come so easy to her in some aspects, and she knows she owes that to her daughter; Trini is an amazing baby, she prefers to lay in silence rather than to draw attention to herself. At two months old, Trini is pure perfection.

 

A gurgle catches Diana’s attention and she abandons her work in order to reach in to cradle the infant, “Hello there, my love. You were sleeping for such a long time.”

 

Trini yawns and twists her face in displeasure, and Diana feels her heart swell. With a gentle hum, Diana stands from her chair and walks through her spacious office with Trini in her arms. The infant squirms in her silky white blankets, but makes no other sounds than grunts as her fists open and close in irritation.

 

“You can cry, little one,” Diana laughs as she watches her daughter’s face continue to pinch into a frown. “You are so quiet, it is a wonder how you ended up in my arms. I do believe I was quite expressive when I was a baby.”

 

Diana sighs in adoration as Trini settles with the sound of her voice, and it isn’t long before she is asleep once more. With a shake of her head, Diana moves to return Trini to her moses basket before she leans down to settle a soft kiss against her forehead.

 

“My love for you knows no bounds,” Diana whispers as she brushes her fingers over the swell of Trini’s cheek. “I am so lucky to call you mine. Sleep well, little one.”

 

-

 

“Edwin, _please_ hand me her pacifier!”

 

“I can’t find it, Maddy.” Edwin snaps over the wails of their three month old daughter. “Goddammit! Where did we put that stupid thing?”

 

“Did you check her crib?” Madeline sighs as she paces through the nursery. “She had it when you put her down earlier, remember?”

 

Edwin sighs and moves to the crib before he quickly snatches the pink pacifier, “Why didn’t you suggest I look there sooner?”

 

“Because I’m a little occupied.” Madeline replies as she quickly reaches for the pacifier before she slides it into Kimberly’s mouth. “Shh, it’s okay. There you go. All better, sweetheart.”

 

Kimberly cries a lot. Edwin and Madeline take her to the doctor again and again, but he just tells them that she’s perfectly alright. It turns out their daughter is just a drama queen who feeds off their attention. The thought brings a smile to Madeline’s face as she sways and watches Kimberly suckle at her pacifier while her eyes slowly drift close.

 

“Oh, my little princess,” Madeline chuckles as she moves to place her in her crib. “Something tells me you’re going to be quite the handful.”

 

-

 

Trini is perfect. With her chubby little face, her tiny button nose, and wide brown eyes full of wonder. She is a quiet baby, except for tonight. Tonight, at four in the morning, Trini scrunches her face and fills the air of her nursery with her wails. Diana is at a loss on how to fix it, all she can do is pace through the room and rock her daughter while sleepily pleading for her to settle. Her heart cracks as Trini arches in her arms and coughs on a sob, as she watches her daughter all she can think of is how she is failing her little girl.

 

“Little one, I don’t know what else to do for you. I have given you _everything_.” Diana whispers as she looks down at the nine month old. “What do you desire, my darling?”

 

Diana swallows hard as Trini folds into her, she doesn’t know if she can take much more. Her heart continues to crackle in her chest, and Trini continues to cry. She considers calling Lois, she doesn’t know what to _do_. As she turns circles and bounces, she thinks of how she is supposed to know how to do this. Comforting Trini, _loving_ her, is supposed to come natural and easy. But sometimes it just doesn’t and Diana hates it.

 

“Please don’t cry, my love,” Diana pleads, but Trini continues to sob on. “I do not know how to fix this, but I should. I am...I am Princess Diana. You are my _daughter._ I lack that instinct of natural motherhood, I was too busy training. I never mastered it. I just never believed you would exist, little one.”

 

The infant hiccups, and Diana twists her face into one of displeasure. Sometimes, when Trini is freshly bathed and staring up at her with wet curls and a smile, it startles Diana how much love she has for this tiny child. She figures that Trini will always be her only. She is the only one who Diana would lay her life down for without a second thought. She is the only thing that keeps her heart beating. Trini is all and everything that Diana thought was only just a dream, Trini is her reality.

 

“What if I sang for you, my darling?” Diana hums as she sees the tears hanging on Trini’s lashes. “When you came into the world you cried, and it broke my heart. I’m dedicating every day to you, domestic life was never quite my style. When you smile, you knock me apart, I fall apart. And I thought I was so smart.”

 

As she sings, Trini settles. Her features relax and her cries dwindle away into whimpers that make her bottom lip quiver. Diana sighs with relief as she watches Trini’s expression loosen while her fingers flex and reach to grab a hold of the silk of her mother’s nightgown. Diana leans down to press her lips against Trini’s forehead, and she laughs softly as Trini huffs in complaint to the silence.

 

“Oh, would you like me to continue?” Diana teases as she pulls away to smile at Trini. “You will come of age with our young nation. We’ll bleed and fight for you, we’ll make it right for you. If we lay a strong enough foundation, we’ll pass it on to you. We’ll give the world to you, and you’ll blow us all away. Some day, someday.”

 

Diana sings on, and loses herself as she looks out the window in the nursery and stares at the bright moon. As she finishes the last of the chorus, she glances down and blinks in surprise as she sees that her daughter is snoozing against her chest. Diana releases a shuddering breath as she grins and stares down at her greatest creation, and she begins to realize her purpose. When she met Steve, when she came to America, her purpose was to save mankind. But now, standing in this nursery with Trini bundled in expensive silk, Diana knows her purpose is to be this little girl’s mother.

 

-

 

Edwin hears her long before he feels Madeline shift in her sleep with a tired whine. The man sits against the headboard and twirls his wedding band around his finger as Madeline reaches for the baby monitor and pulls it close to her face. After a moment, her hand shoots up in the air and Edwin reaches out to take it before he flips it off, but even then their daughter’s cry sound from down the hall.

 

“Kimmy needs you.” Madeline yawns.

 

“Babe, she needs to learn how to soothe herself. She’s ten months old, she should be sleeping through the night.” Edwin sighs as he looks down at his half-asleep wife. “Remember what the doctor told us?”

 

“Kimberly isn’t Dr. Kepner’s child, she is _ours_ and I don’t like hearing her cry.” Madeline snaps as she buries her face in her pillow before she rolls her head to glare at him. “Go get her.”

 

“She’s staying in her room, Maddy. I’ll go check on her, but she’s going right back in her crib the second she is asleep again.” Edwin grumbles as he throws the covers off his legs and stands. “We can’t keep spoiling her.”

 

Madeline waves him off, and sleepily sighs against her pillow but Edwin knows she won’t fall asleep until she is sure Kimberly is okay. With a yawn, Edwin rubs tiredly at his eyes and slips into the pink nursery where he is greeted with his daughter’s tiny fists waving in the air. The man looms over the crib and can’t help but smile as he watches Kimberly settle slightly and push out her bottom lip while she blinks heavily.

 

“Don’t even try the pout, princess.” Edwin scolds as he reaches in to scoop Kimberly into the strong crook of his arm. “Your mom taught you that pout, didn’t she? I don’t know why you two think it’s okay to gang up on me.”

 

Kimberly gurgles and waves her fists, and Edwin marvels how fast she is growing up. To him, she is still the red faced child the doctor handed him swaddled in pink hospital blankets. She’ll always be that to him, he supposes. His princess is just that, his princess, and he really can’t see her ever being anything but just that.

 

“Alright, Kimmy,” Edwin begins as he bounces her and begins to walk circles. “I’ll sing...well, _attempt_ to sing you one song and that’s it. After that, you’re going straight back into your crib.”

 

A squeal is the only reply he receives.

 

“Hush little alien don’t say a word, daddy’s gonna catch you a goonie bird. If that goonie bird flies too far then daddy’s gonna lasso you a shooting star. If that shooting star’s too hot, daddy’s gonna catch you an astronaut…”

 

Kimberly stares up at him with a curious expression and he can’t help but laugh. His fingers tickle lightly at her pajama covered stomach, and the baby squeaks as her tiny hands grapple at his fingers. After a moment, he settles and goes back to rocking while Kimberly gurgles happily and watches him with adoration and awe.

 

“If that astronaut should fight, daddy’s gonna bring you a satellite. If that satellite gets away, daddy’s gonna take you to the milky way. If that milk has got no cream, daddy’s gonna buy you a laser beam. If that laser makes things melt, daddy’s gonna get you a new tool belt…”

 

Edwin figures his lyrics are way off, but this version always amused him more. Plus, Madeline is the one who packs all the good lullabies; all he is good for is bath time and early morning feedings. A smile works itself across his face as he marvels at his life, marvels at the child that he gave life to, and just like always he swells with pride.

 

“With that tool belt on your hip, you’re gonna build a rocket ship. And when that rocket ship takes flight, daddy’s gonna give you a kiss good night.”

 

Kimberly seems to settle as her eyelashes begin to flutter and her body becomes heavier. With a laugh, Edwin begins to move back towards the crib where he is careful as leans over the side to gently place Kimberly on soft sheets before he pulls a fuzzy pink blanket over her small form. His hands curl around the crib as he watches her sleep and he barely startles when Madeline sidles up to him.

 

“Honey…” Madeline begins.

 

Edwin smiles as he looks to her, “Yes, dear?”

 

“Never sing that to our daughter again.”

 

“Yes, dear.”

 

-

 

“I cannot just leave her with _anyone._ ” Diana snaps as she glowers at Bruce Wayne. “I will not trust just anyone to care for my daughter, you must fight this battle on your own.”

 

“We need you out there.” Bruce frowns.

 

“And my daughter needs me here.” Diana replies as she folds her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry, Bruce. I cannot accompany you.”

 

Bruce arches an eyebrow and looks to the playmat a few feet away, “I understand. Not to alarm you, but your kid is gone.”

 

Diana feels a rush of fear run through her as she turns to see that her daughter is indeed gone, and she barely spares Bruce as she turns circles until she sees Trini. Across the room, Trini takes wobbly steps as she holds her hands out to balance herself. Diana stops breathing until Trini stumbles and falls back on her butt with a huff of annoyance.

 

“Cute kid.” Bruce mumbles.

 

“Those were her first steps.” Diana breathes out.

 

Bruce gives her a rare smile, “Congratulations.”

 

Diana doesn’t bother to spare him any other words or even another glance, she is too busy crossing the room to offer her hand to Trini. Brown eyes look up at her, and Diana melts as tiny fingers curl around two of her fingers before she is gently pulled to her feet. Bruce watches them for a moment more before he leaves, he doesn’t think he’ll be pulling Diana away anytime soon.

 

-

 

“I think it’s almost finished.” Edwin hums as he looks at their beautifully done Christmas tree. “It’s going to be nice that next year Kimmy will actually be helping us put up the ornaments.”

 

Madeline nods and offers Edwin a pink ballet slipper with a tiny photo inside of Kimberly, “Next year she’ll be able to put this up herself.”

 

Edwin hangs the ornament and sighs, “Hopefully she won’t end up breaking anything. Something tells me she’s going to be a little clumsy, I guess we’ll know when she _finally_ starts walking.”

 

“Na!”

 

Edwin looks over his shoulder and does a double take as he sees Kimberly push off from where she is hanging on the couch, and then she takes a shaky step forward. Madeline turns as she sees Edwin eyes go wide, and she claps a hand over her mouth to mask her cry of surprise as she watches Kimberly slowly step forward.

 

“Oh my God, Edwin!” Madeline gasps as she fumbles to pull out of her phone before she drops to her knees. “She’s _walking_.”

 

“That she is!” Edwin laughs as he rushes to squat down before he opens his arms to his daughter who immediately squeals. “You can do it, princess. That’s it, come here.”

 

“Look at her go.” Madeline whispers, the awe clear in her voice. “There you go, sweetheart. Just put one foot in front of the other.”

 

“Did you get all of that?” Edwin laughs as he gives in and rushes to scoop Kimberly into his arms before me looks to his wife. “She did _amazing_ , Maddy. Such a little expert, this one.”

 

Madeline nods with tears in our eyes, “That’s our Kimmy.”

 

-

 

“Your first trip around the sun is complete.” Diana whispers as she lays in bed with Trini at her side, and the infant gurgles with a smile. “I am so glad you are mine, my darling.”

 

Trini bounces against her mother as she holds her bottle close and watches with those bright brown eyes. Diana looks down at her with pure adoration and wonders for a moment how different life would be for them if they were still on the island, she wonders if there would have been a large celebration for Trini. A smile graces her face as she thinks of the excitement and the loud festival that would have taken place.

 

“They would have danced for hours to celebrate this day, my love,” Diana whispers as she draws her fingers through the soft curls on Trini’s head. “Today you would have been showered with attention. How does that sound?”

 

A bittersweet smile tilts at the corners of her mouth as she thinks of home, sometimes she wishes there was a way to go back. She wishes she could take Trini back to where everything began, at least then she would always know her daughter would be safe. A sigh leaves her as she glances down to watch as Trini’s brow furrows before she looks up at her mother and smiles around the nipple of her bottle.

 

Trini pops her bottle from her mouth, “Ta!”

 

“I am not entirely sure what that means, but I’m going to assume it’s a good thing.” Diana laughs as she presses a kiss to Trini’s head. “Happy birthday, my little one.”

 

This isn’t Themyscira, but this is home and Diana figures that is better than nothing.

 

-

 

“Edwin?”

 

Edwin frowns as he turns to face his wife, “What?”

 

“What are you doing in here?” Madeline whispers as she moves into the nursery and curls her arms around Edwin’s waist as they watch Kimberly sleep peacefully. “It’s almost midnight, what are you doing in here?”

 

“In three minutes she’s going to be a year old, Maddy.” Edwin murmurs. “This little girl, this child I wasn’t even sure I _wanted,_ has been a part of our lives for an entire year. And its been amazing.”

 

“It has.” Madeline nods as she unwraps her arms from around Edwin’s waist. “It’s kind of bittersweet, if you really think about it.”

 

“Just a little bit.” Edwin agrees as he stares down at his daughter with a smile. “Does it scare you that this is happening? Her birthdays, I mean. She’s not going to be our little princess forever.”

 

“Oh, she’ll always be our princess.” Madeline assures him as she licks her lips and frowns at the burn of tears in her eyes. “God, it feels like yesterday she was kicking for the first time. And I remember holding her for the first time…”

 

“I didn’t mean to make you cry, babe.” Edwin teases as he wraps his arms around Madeline’s waist before he presses a soft kiss to her shoulder. “She’s fine. It’s fine. She’s just...it’s part of growing up."

 

“Can we just go to bed? We have people coming over tomorrow and I don’t feel like looking like a zombie.” Madeline huffs as she pouts her lower lip, Edwin simply laughs as he drops yet another kiss to his wife’s shoulder.

 

“Yeah. Sure.” Edwin nods as he leads Madeline away, the pair slowly slide into their own room and fall upon the mattress as they both stare up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe she’s going to be one, it’s so surreal.”

 

“I think we’ve done a pretty good job with her so far, right?” Madeline hums as she rolls to curl into her husband’s strong side. “I’m not going to say it was a walk in the park, but I think we did good. She’s an amazing baby.”

 

“I agree with you, one hundred percent.” Edwin whispers as he looks down at his wife while his fingertips brush over her bare bicep. “She’s so bright for her age, I couldn’t have asked for a better kid. She’s better than any dream.”

 

“Do you remember how terrified we were when we found out I was pregnant?” Madeline whispers as looks to Edwin in time to see his small regretful frown. “You were terrified through the whole pregnancy, weren’t you?”

 

“I was, but now...I think I was stupid.” Edwin admits with a shrug. “Now, I look at Kimmy and I can’t imagine not having her in my life. She’s perfect, Maddy. The two of you are the greatest things that I’ve ever had the pleasure of calling mine.”

 

Madeline smiles and nuzzles into Edwin, “Now who’s getting soft.”

 

“For my girls?” Edwin snorts. “Always.”

 

-

 

“Good morning, my love.” Diana coos as she walks into the nursery and her heart melts as she sees Trini standing in her crib. “Looks like somebody is ready to begin their day, yes?”

 

Trini babbles as if to answer and her arms extend to her mother as Diana nears her, and her bell like giggle sounds as the woman easily swings her into her arms. For a moment, Diana simply holds her daughter and allows the last of their night’s sleep to fade from them before she carries Trini towards her little changing table.

 

“Today is going to be a wonderful day. Do you know why?” Diana whispers as she changes Trini. “Today you and I are going to play _all_ day. We can read your books, build your blocks, I will even allow you to play at that dreadful park.”

 

Trini claps her hands and beams, “Mama!”

 

The world seems to vanish around Diana as she stands with the onesie in her hands, and she takes a moment to blink away her tears. Trini lays on the changing table and squirms as everything remains still around her, and Diana is quick to reach out and scoop her into her arms before she gets too close to the edge.

 

“Mama!” Trini repeats.

 

Diana nods and clears her throat, “Yes, little one, I’m your mama.”

 

Trini giggles and burrows into Diana’s neck; the two stand in the sun warmed nursery and Diana holds her daughter just a little tighter, and she isn’t sure she’ll ever be ready to let her go.

 

-

 

“Kimberly Ann Hart, come on.” Madeline pleads as she nudges the pink spoon against her daughter’s pinched lips. “Come on, baby. Just take one bite for mommy. Please?”

 

Brown eyes bore into hers before they narrow, “No.”

 

“Excuse me?” Madeline gaps as she jerks away subtly and stares at her daughter, Kimberly huffs and pouts. “Did you...please tell me you didn’t just say no to me.”

 

“No.” Kimberly repeats with a scowl.

 

“Edwin, get in here!” Madeline exclaims as she continues to stare at her daughter while Kimberly reaches to pick at the Cheerios on the table of her highchair. “Edwin!”

 

“What? What’s going on?” Edwin demands as he rushes into the room and looks to her wife who is busy watching his content daughter. “Maddy, what’s wrong? Is Kim okay?”

 

“She just said her first word…”

 

Edwin gasps, “Was it dada?”

 

“Not exactly.” Madeline sighs. “It was no.”

 

“No? Her first word was no?” Edwin repeats before he slowly removes his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose with a laugh. “Why am I not surprised by that?”

 

“No! No! No!” Kimberly squeals as she slaps her open palms against the highchair tray.

 

Madeline rolls her eyes and sighs, “This is going to be fun.”

 

-

 

Of course Diana realizes that her daughter won’t always be perfect, and it really begins to show when Trini turns three. Trini is one hundred percent her mother, and her stubborn attitude and willpower make it evident. But there’s also that softness that edges around her daughter, and Diana can’t help but find the toddler miraculous. Except for tonight, Trini has picked this particular dinner with Lois and Clark to test her mother.

 

“My darling, please do not put your hands in your food like that.” Diana scolds as she looks to the child strapped safely in a booster seat.

 

Trini huffs and squishes her potatoes, “I no eat.”

 

“So I see.” Diana sighs as she reaches to take her daughter’s plate, but the toddler is quick to sweep it aside. “Trinity, we are not playing right now. Give me your plate.”

 

“No.” Trini chirps.

 

Diana arches an eyebrow slowly, “Trinity.”

 

“Pay!” Trini replies with an expression that rivals her mother’s.

 

“Little one, there will be time to play after you’ve eaten. Give me your plate.” Diana snaps, and Trini pauses for a moment at her tone. “Trinity, I will not ask you again.”

 

Trini seems to consider it for a moment, “No. Pay.”

 

Diana flexes her jaw as she stares at Trini and sees the little war brewing behind those brown eyes and she knows there’s no chance of her winning. The room falls into silence as Trini finally drops her plate and Diana reaches out to wipe her hands only for the toddler to pull away with a grunt and reaches for her own napkin.

 

“I do it.” Trini snaps.

 

“How about we go play?” Clark offers with a small smile as he wipes his mouth. “Trini, wanna show me your new toys?”

 

Trini looks briefly to her mother, “Otay.”

 

Clark stands and presses a kiss to Lois’ head before he moves to scoop Trini up and over his shoulder. For a moment, the dining room is silent as Diana stares at her daughter’s empty spot; across from her, Lois pushes her food around and watches her friend mull over the events. Finally, Diana huffs and looks to the redhead with an expression of displeasure.

 

Diana blinks as she looks to Lois, “She has never been disobedient like that before.”

 

“Welcome to the toddler years, Diana. This is going to be a walk in the park compared to her teen years. Just brace yourself.” Lois laughs as she reaches for her wine glass and tilts it towards Diana. “Here’s wishing you all the luck.”

 

Diana pinches her lips into a thin line, “I will not toast to that.”

 

“Suit yourself.” Lois smirks.

 

With a frown, Diana reaches for her own wine glass and sips at it for a moment ss she replays Lois’ words; she isn’t sure she’ll survive Trini’s supposed toddler years, let alone her teen years. With a harsh swallow, Diana silently wishes _herself_ luck.

 

-

 

Kimberly likes action figures, and dump trucks. She especially loves dump trucks covered in mud. She doesn’t like pink, her favorite color is black. She likes to ride on her father’s shoulders and she steals her mother’s leather jackets so she can wear them like dresses. When Kimberly is three, Madeline decides it’s time for them to invest in a big kid bed for their daughter. The trip to Ikea is over too fast, it takes the toddler five minutes to scurry towards a yellow race car bed on display.

 

“Car! Vwoom!” Kimberly exclaims as she points eagerly at the model. “Mommy, I want!”

 

“What? Kimmy, how about this pretty bed with the canopy?” Madeline suggests as she looks to the pricey metal bed frame a few feet away. “It’s so pretty, sweetheart.”

 

“Wace car!” Kimberly squeals as she stumbles to Edwin and grabs a hold of his jeans before she pouts up at him. “Daddy, wace car? I want. I want wace car. Vwoom, Daddy!”

 

Edwin smiles as he looks to his wife, “Looks like she’s getting the race car bed, babe.”

 

Madeline rolls her eyes and goes along with it; she is pleasantly surprised when Kimberly actually picks out a pair of pink sheets.

 

-

 

“Tell me a story.” Trini chirps.

 

Diana lifts Trini onto the bed with a fond laugh, “Why are you still awake?”

 

“Can’t sleep.” Trini yawns. “Story?”

 

“Alright, my love,” Diana sighs as she sets her tablet aside and allows her five-year-old to fold into her side. “I think it’s time that I tell you where we come from. Far, far away from here is a beautiful place called Themyscira…”

 

Diana dazzles her daughter with the tale of Themyscira, and Trini hangs onto every word as she listens with a dropped jaw. Diana isn’t sure how long she sits there telling Trini of her grandmother and her battle against Ares, but she knows she’s going to regret staying up this late when Trini wakes up grumpy and whining.

 

The second Diana finishes, Trini asks her to tell her the story just one last time. Diana does, and Trini falls asleep with the idea of Themyscira lingering in the back of her head.

 

-

 

Kimberly loves to end her nights bouncing on her parents bed, she is giggles and squeals as she dances along the mattress until her father sweeps her up and away. And then her usual bedtime routine begins; pajamas, brushing her teeth, combing her long locks, and finally deciding on a book for her mother or father to read.

 

“Daddy, let’s read this one!” Kimberly exclaims as she rushes towards her father with a book held above her head. “Let’s read this one and the other one about the frog.”

 

“Only one book tonight, princess.” Edwin chuckles as he scoops Kimberly up and carries her towards her waiting bed. “You got to bounce on the bed for an extra ten minutes so one book and then I’m shipping you off to dreamland.”

 

“Ugh!” Kimberly whines as she falls back against her pillow and curls her arms over her chest. “No fair, Daddy. You’re a meanie head.”

 

“Well, meanie heads don’t read fairytales to little princesses so I guess I’ll just go.” Edwin shrugs as he flashes his daughter a smirk.

 

“No!” Kimberly exclaims as she drags the word out and scrambles under her pink covers. “I’ll be good. You’re not a meanie head, you’re the bestest daddy ever.”

 

Edwin smiles adoringly as he carefully sits on the edge of Kimberly’s bed and allows her to curl into his side, “Well, just because you said _that_ I guess I can read you two books.”

 

“Yay!” Kimberly squeals.

  
Kimberly falls asleep long before the first story is over.

 

-

 

Diana begins to train Trini by the time she is eight, and it’s easy to see her daughter is a natural. Trini moves with as much grace as Diana, and with a power that rivals Hippolyta; she can only imagine how proud her mother would be if she could see her daughter and granddaughter now. Diana smiles as she quickly disarms Trini, and the child growls in annoyance as she reaches for her sword.

 

“Patience, darling.” Diana whispers as Trini swings her blade and begins to circle her mother. “You need to _think_. You hesitate, and hesitation will only be your downfall.”

 

“Okay.” Trini grumbles. “I’m trying.”

 

Diana is quick to once again knock Trini’s sword from her grasp, “Do _not_ allow your guard to fall, Trinity. Focus.”

 

Trini swallows and nods, and Diana immediately softens when she sees the way her daughter reaches up to rub at her eyes. Diana sometimes forgets how different her childhood was compared to Trini’s, she was raised around warriors while Diana has sought out a semi normal life for her daughter; she forgets sometimes she’s merely a child.

 

“No tears, Trinity.” Diana orders as she moves to drop to a knee in front of her daughter. “You are learning, little one. I understand that it is hard to understand, but you will eventually catch on. There is no reason for your tears.”

 

Trini sniffles and wipes her forearm over her nose as she looks to her mother, “B-But you’re mad at me, I’m not fast enough.”

 

“My love, I am nowhere near angered with you. Just as I said, you’re _learning._ You’ve only just begun to train and you are remarkable.” Diana soothes as she reaches out to wipe Trini’s tear away. “Look to me and learn, my love.”

 

“Okay.” Trini murmurs with a firm nod.

 

Diana matches the nod with one of her own before she stands and readies her stance, “Once more and then we shall be through.”

 

Trini narrows her eyes, and charges; Diana is baffled by the time she is disarmed and her eight-year-old smirks down at her.

 

“I win.” Trini chirps.

 

Diana sits up and reaches out to sweep Trini into her lap before she presses a kiss to her head, “Yes you did, little one. I’m proud of you.”

 

-

 

Kimberly is flushed and her smile lights up her face as her feet pound their way up her long driveway. There is an air of childish excitement that surrounds her as she skips up the steps of her porch and tumbles her way into the house. She pauses to catch her breath and listen for any signs of her parents, and she immediately lights up when she hears her father humming in his office.

 

“Daddy!” Kimberly squeals.

 

“I’m in my office, Kimmy!”

 

“I did it!” Kimberly yells as she rushes down the hallway and skids her way into her father’s spacious office. “Daddy, look! I did it! I made it! I tried out and I _made_ it!”

 

Edwin scowls as his daughter pours excitedly into his office, “Inside voice, Kimmy.”

 

“But look!” Kimberly whines as she holds up a white copied sheet with a list of names on it. “I got a spot on the cheerleading team!”

 

“What?” Edwin laughs as he quickly stands and moves to take the paper from Kimberly. “Well, would you look at that! Kimberly Ann Hart, you’re name is the first one on the list.”

 

“Coach say I’m the best.” The eight-year-old shrugs before she flicks a strand of hair behind her strong shoulder. “She says that I’ll definitely be a flyer when I’m in high school.”

 

“That’s my girl!” Edwin cheers as he scoops her up and carries her through the house. “Maddy, we have our own little powderpuff cheerleader living in our house. Come meet the newest little pompom shaker in Angel Grove Elementary.”

 

Madeline appears in the kitchen doorway with a wide smile, “I knew you could do it, Kimmy! Oh, sweetheart, I’m so proud of you.”

 

Kimberly lights up and revels in the way her parents dote on her and gush about her future, she figures the only way from here is up.

 

-

 

“How come I don’t have a dad?”

 

Diana pauses as she looks to where her eleven-year-old is polishing her shield, “Why do you ask, my love?”

 

“Everyone at school has a dad. I don’t. Some of the dads don’t live with them, but they have pictures of them and see them on holidays.” Trini explains as she looks up at her mother. “Where’s mine?”

 

“You do not have a father.” Diana admits.

 

“Emma says that’s what her mom tells her, but her grandma says she has one but he’s a no good deadbeat.” Trini shrugs before she abandons her rag and tilts her head. “Is my dad a secret? Did he hurt your feelings?”

 

“No, little one,” Diana assures her before she sets her sword aside and moves so she can sit in front of Trini. “You truly do not have a father. You were created from clay.”

 

Trini scrunches her nose, “Like playdough?”

 

“No. You see, I longed for something other than being a warrior,” Diana begins as she reaches out to sweep a strand of hair from Trini’s face. “I longed to have a purpose, and along came you. I wanted to be a mother so with all my heart and strength, I wished for you and thus you were born.”

 

“So, I’m just like you?” Trini demands.

 

“You are.” Diana nods with a fond smile.

 

Trini pauses for a moment before she gives a lopsided grin, “Cool. You’re Wonder Woman and you’re awesome. And now I don’t have to marry a boy, I can marry a girl and _wish_ for a baby.”

 

“You can marry whoever you please. So long as they make you happy.” Diana whispers before she narrows her eyes. “Now, no more distractions. It’s time for your archery lesson.”

 

“Sweet!”

 

-

 

“Mom, who am I gonna marry?”

 

Madeline looks away from the road for a brief second to see Kimberly’s frown, “I don’t know, sweetheart. That’s up to you.”

 

“Well, how come you knew you wanted to marry dad? How am I supposed to know?” Kimberly asks with a scowl. “I wanna know when I meet my soulmate. Will it be love at first sight?”

 

“I don’t have any answers to those questions, Kimmy. The heart wants what the heart wants, the only person who will know that is _you_.” Madeline explains. “You’ll know deep in your heart when you meet your soulmate.”

 

Kimberly nods slowly, “I hope it’s Zac Efron.”

 

-

 

Gotham is dark, it’s always dark. Tonight though, as the lightning dances on her wall and the thunder rumbles loudly, Trini feels like the entire _world_ is dark. At thirteen, Trini has been deemed old enough to stay home alone while her mother is off saving the world. It gets lonely on nights like this, on nights when their penthouse seems twice its size and the strength she posses seems nonexistent. A particularly loud burst of thunder causes her to cringe as she pulls her blankets over her head and burrows further into her pillows.

 

Her mother has always been careful and hesitant when it comes to exposing Trini to her alternate ego, but Diana wasn’t one to hide things from her daughter. And although Trini is proud of the knowledge that _her_ mom is Wonder Woman, a total badass warrior, sometimes she can’t help but admit to herself it sucks. On days and nights when Diana leaves her though, a loneliness settles deep in her bones and throbs with an ache.

 

Trini grits her teeth as the rain slams hard against her balcony doors, and finally she gives in and tosses her bedsheets off. Her feet patter softly as she wanders through the hallway, and to the closet in her mother’s bedroom. With quick work, she types in a familiar code and steps into the small elevator space offered to her; the thunder and rain disappear as the elevator climbs further and further into the training room.

 

Bruce had their safe room built for them when Trini was merely a newborn, everything they could possibly need is held safely here. With a huff, Trini crosses the room and throws up the cabinet where her bow and arrows wait. She is quick to load the quiver and she fires at the target on the opposite end of the room, and slowly the anxieties melt away as it splits through perfectly. Target after target explodes until Trini runs out of arrows and her eyes are red with building tears.

 

“Little one?”

 

Trini turns and looks to her mother, “Mama?”

 

“What are you doing awake?” Diana asks in a soft voice as she crosses the room and takes the bow away from the teen. “Why are you upset?”

 

Trini doesn’t answer, she just falls into her mother’s arms. With a deep breath, Trini takes in the smell that reminds her too much of Gotham; her mother pulls her close and Trini shifts uncomfortably against her mother’s suit until Diana finally scoops her small frame up. She feels a little ridiculous as her eyes grow heavy and she curls further into her mother, she feels that loneliness chill her once more before the exhaustion sets in.

 

Trini burrows into Diana with a frown, “I wish you weren’t Wonder Woman.”

 

Diana feels the first tear fall as Trini’s breaths even out; she can’t help but sometimes wish she wasn’t Wonder Woman either.

 

-

 

Kimberly’s parents travel more often once she is old enough to learn how to order take out and has friends she can stay with while their gone. At first, Kimberly hates it. Her father misses one of her games and she doesn’t speak to him for a week, and then her mother misses a play she has two lines in and she receives the same silent treatment. Kimberly is so used to having them around that it feels almost impossible to imagine learning how to adjust without them.

 

And then she meets Amanda Todd and it gets a little easier. Amanda becomes her best friend and her parents don’t worry as much when they leave because Kimberly has the Todd family now and she’s safe. There comes a time when Kimberly becomes _excited_ for them to go because that means sleepovers and nights spent giggling and trading childish gossip.

 

“Come on, call him!” Amanda giggles.

 

Kimberly flushes, “But _you_ like him.”

 

“I know! That’s why _you_ have to call and ask him if he likes me too.” Amanda explains as she pushes her house phone towards Kimberly. “Come on, Kim. Please! We can call Jason Scott after this and see if he likes you, okay?”

 

“Okay. Fine.” Kimberly sighs.

 

With a nervous expression, Kimberly reaches for the phone and dials the number scribbled in the yearbook. The rings seem almost twice as loud as she watches Amanda clap her hands over her mouth to mask her excited squeals. Finally, Tyler Flemings picks up and Kimberly freezes as she hears his squeaky voice.

 

“Tyler, it’s Kimberly Hart.” Kimberly begins, and her eyes go wide as he says something. “I uh...um, yeah. No. No, I don’t...do you like Amanda?”

 

Amanda leans forward excitedly, “Does he?”

 

“ _Me_?” Kimberly demands, and she winces when she sees Amanda’s smile dim subtly. “Oh. No. I don’t really know. My parents are out of town so I’m not allowed to do anything.”

 

Amanda sneers and pushes off the floor before she moves to collapse on her bed and Kimberly scrambles to end the call with Tyler. Finally, after a promise of a date to the movies, Kimberly slams the phone down and hurries to join Amanda. For a long moment, all is quiet and then Amanda turns to look at her with that familiar grin.

 

“Well, since _you_ get Ty then I get Jason.”

 

With that, Amanda is off and diving towards the phone. Two hours later, Kimberly lays beside her sleeping friend and stares up at the ceiling with a frown as she thinks of her plans for tomorrow evening. She and Amanda have a double date set up with Ty and Jason, and Kimberly can’t help but realize her parents are going to miss out on her first date; it surprises her how much she really doesn’t care. As that thought swims in her head, she finally gives into her tiredness and drifts off.

 

-

 

Trini doesn’t date. She doesn’t really see the point. Everyone she encounters always has some hidden agenda; with the boys, it’s always about what they can get out of her physically. She allows it for a while, she just let’s them take and waits to feel _something_ but it never comes. By the time she is sixteen, kissing boys feels more like a chore than anything. So, she gives it up and focuses on where her attention _really_ lays.

 

The first time she kisses a girl, Trini finally realizes what pleasure and excitement feel like. Morgan tastes like bad decisions and mint ice cream, and Trini holds onto it as tight as she can. Her mother doesn’t seem to notice that she sneaks in and out, and Trini can’t seem to get enough of Morgan. She makes her feel like something makes sense, she makes things a little lighter.

 

For three months, Morgan _takes_. She feeds off Trini’s light and steals pieces of her only to toss them aside when she grows bored. Eventually, Morgan tosses her aside completely. And just like her city, Trini slowly fades into darkness. Diana finally notices, and she assures Trini that the right person for her is out there and _now_ just isn’t the time to find them.

 

So yeah, Trini doesn’t really date.

 

-

 

Ty is Kimberly’s first _everything._

 

He isn’t perfect, and sometimes he makes her wants her to scream but he’s _hers_. He treats her with respect, and always makes her laugh. All in all, he is everything that her parents want for her but he’s not enough. The butterflies that once flew in her stomach have escaped, and now she feels nothing when she looks at him. He’s just a good friend that she likes to make out with, Amanda says that it really isn’t a bad thing.

 

“Hey, beautiful.”

 

Kimberly sighs and looks to Ty, “Hey.”

 

“Good to see you too.” Ty mumbles as he leans against the locker next to hers before he smirks at Amanda. “Amanda, what’s up? Have you gotten a smile out of my girl yet?”

 

“Oh, that’s not _all_ I’ve gotten out of her.” Amanda purrs as she winks at a laughing Ty. “Don’t mind her, she’s just grumpy because the new girl made the team today.”

 

Ty and Amanda continue flirt, and Kimberly continues to pretend she doesn’t notice. It used to bother her, but she stopped caring almost six months ago; now, she just acts oblivious and allows it to happen. She knows it _should_ upset her, but she can’t help but realize her relationship really means that little to her; Kimberly knows Ty is her now, but he definitely doesn’t feel like her forever.

 

So, she ignores it and moves on.

 

-

 

Trini’s life begins all over again on a Thursday.

 

“What do you think?”

 

“It has potential. I like our house.” Trini shrugs as she looks to her mother. “What do _you_ think? I mean, are you upset that I wanted to leave Gotham? I know I was being bitchy but…”

 

“Silence, little one.” Diana laughs as she glances momentarily to her daughter. “Gotham is just a city. The most important part of it was _you_. This is...a new beginning.”

 

Trini ducks her head and tugs at the yellow beanie on her head, “And you’re cool with that?”

 

“Totally cool with it.” Diana smirks.

 

Trini rolls her eyes as they finally reach the school, and Diana slides out of the car before they stare up at the brown building. There is nothing exciting about it, it looks like every other high school in America but it’s her fresh start so to Trini it looks perfect. With a deep breath, Trini is quick to follow her mother inside where the hallways empty and doors slam shut. Her sneakers squeak alongside the tap of her mother’s heels as they walk towards the office and duck inside the glass cased space.

 

“Hello.”

 

The plump woman behind the desk looks up and her eyes go wide, “Wow.”

 

Diana barely pays her any mind as she reaches into her purse to fish out Trini’s transcripts, “I’m Ms. Prince, I am here to enroll my daughter.”

 

The school is on the small size, but it’s _new_ . The receptionist jabbers on, but Trini pays her no mind as she smiles softly and looks around. An angry tone catches her attention, and she turns her head to see a dark-haired girl being guided into the office and she hates the way her breath catches slightly. From what she can see, the girl is _beautiful._ And from the looks of it she’s trouble too; she is exactly Trini’s type.

 

The door to the office slams shut, and Trini blinks from her thoughts as she sees her mother looking at her with a hesitant smile.

 

Diana tilts her head, “So?”

 

“It’s awesome, Mom. Thanks.” Trini grins.

 

“Anything for you, little one.”

 

-

 

Kimberly blows her entire world up on a Thursday.

 

“You are the meanest girl I have ever met.”

 

The words swim in her head and she can hear the chatter of her classmates as they agree with his statement, and Kimberly lashes out before she can think. She packs her last wasted four years into the punch, and she hisses in displeasure as pain explodes in her knuckles while Ty’s head snaps back and bounces against the lockers. For a moment, the hallway goes silent as they all watch Ty press a hand to his mouth before he spits and a tooth collapses at Kimberly’s feet.

 

“You _bitch_.” Ty growls. “You punched out my.” _tooth_

 

“Oh fuck off.” Kimberly snarls as she rubs her knuckles while tears of anger build in her eyes. “I’m sure they can put it back.”

 

“What is going on over here?”

 

Kimberly swallows hard as the principal approaches the crowd, and she can see from the way he looks to her that he is here for more than a mediator. She doesn’t protest as he orders for her to follow him before he latches onto her arm. Like some bad movie, she can literally picture herself falling from grace and reaching for hands that only reach out to smack hers away. _She_ did this. She is the one who sent that naked picture of her best friend out, and now the consequences have caught up.

 

A pain lurches in her as she remembers the expression of betrayal on Amanda’s face when Ty had told her what Kimberly had done. She can also feel the sting in her cheek from the slap she was dealt alongside that look. Jealousy, popularity, and pettiness is a horrible mix, and Kimberly has been brewing with all of it since the moment a drunk Amanda admitted she had hooked up with Ty two weeks ago.

 

As Kimberly is led into the office, a smile catches her attention. With a quick look over her shoulder, she sees a girl with big brown eyes and a beanie falling over her ears; Kimberly is immediately taken by the stranger. Just as she takes one last look, her arm is yanked and she looks back to the office before her stomach drops as she sees the angered faces of both her parents and Amanda’s.

 

The door slams shut, and the stranger disappears behind it.

 

Madeline looks at her with wide eyes, “What have you _done_ , Kimberly?”

 

Her father doesn’t say anything, and somehow that is so much worse.

 

-

 

“I have a gift for you.”

 

Trini pulls her headphones around her neck as her mother lingers in the doorway, “Huh?”

 

“I have a gift for you.” Diana repeats as she steps into the room and beckons Trini to join her, and after a moment the teen collapses on the mattress beside her mother. “You’re going to be seventeen this year, and I believe it’s time for you to have this.”

 

“Okay…” Trini frowns.

 

Diana looks at her for a long moment before she carefully pulls the lid of the box off to reveal the stunning but simple gold mask. It reminds Trini of the headband her mother wears, and she knows exactly what her mother means when she offers it to her; it is so much more than just a gift, it’s her mother’s way of saying she is ready to embrace whatever future Trini chooses.

 

“It’s...a mask.” Trini murmurs.

 

“There were many on the island who wore masks such as these, and Bruce designed one for you after you began training.” Diana explains as she looks to her hesitant daughter. “He thought that you would be following in my footsteps.”

 

Trini arches an eyebrow, “You’d allow that?”

 

“Allow is a strong word, my darling.” Diana sighs as she runs her fingertips over the mask. “I will never try to stop you for starting your future, and I’ll support you in whatever you choose. So long as you’re safe then I shall be happy.”

 

“This coming from the same woman who _cried_ when I cut my first tooth and just about had a heart attack on my first day of school.” Trini teases as she reaches in to pick up the mask. “This is...intense. You’re really okay with whatever I choose?”

 

“Of course, little one.” Diana nods.

 

“I don’t…” Trini pauses and heaves out a long breath of thought. “Mom, this isn’t something I _want_. I told you that. Being a superhero just isn’t in my future, alright? I don’t need this.”

 

Diana is silent before she stands and presses a kiss to Trini’s forehead, “You may think that, but you never know. Keep this. It is yours, my love. Neither you nor myself can see the future, you might need it one day.”

 

Trini fingers the golden mask as Diana leaves her in her half unpacked room, and finally she stands to hide it in the back of her closet; she _refuses_ to embrace this, she doesn’t want to be another Wonder Woman.

 

-

 

Kimberly tumbles from grace and right into the clutches of a new destiny. She becomes a Power Ranger, and suddenly her life has meaning again. She goes from being the school joke to suddenly having four new best friends who fight alongside her to save their little town. It all happens so fast, and Kimberly can barely wrap her head around it; she isn’t sure what makes _her_ worthy of something so pure, something so good.

 

But there was a part of her that is terrified of this. They have only been Rangers for a couple weeks and they’ve already saved the town. They have already almost died. A lump grows in her throat as she remembers the feel of flames engulfing her, and her eyes squeeze shut as her mind begins the constant replay of her teammates, of her  _friends,_ desperate screams.

 

“Are you coming?”

 

“Huh?” Kimberly looks up to see the four other Rangers linger at the mouth of the ship. “Um, no. I think I’m gonna hang around for a bit.”

 

Zack Taylor arches an eyebrow, “But we’re gonna go get pizza. This is the first time Jason has let us leave training early, dude. Let’s go!”

 

“Nah. I need some time.” Kimberly whispers.

 

“To what? Mull over the battle? We won, Kim. Rita has been bitch slapped back into space.” Tommy Oliver points out with a smug smirk. “Let’s go out and celebrate that.”

 

“If you want.” Billy Cranston chirps.

 

“As happy as I am about Rita, I’m just not up to celebrate tonight.” Kimberly shrugs. “My parents want me home early tonight anyway. They’ve been kinda protective since the whole destroyed Angel Grove thing.”

 

Jason Scott nods and hikes his backpack up his shoulder, “We understand. We’ll be at the parlor if you change your mind.”

 

With a small nod, Kimberly turns away and listens to Zack complain as they all disappear with a quick leap. Once she is sure they’re gone, she tucks herself into a rock corner and pulls her power coin free from her jacket pocket. The constant glow and hum light up her face as she stares at it and thinks of how different her life is. Two weeks ago, she was no one. Two weeks ago, she didn’t even know Billy’s last name or that Zack’s mother was sick. Two weeks ago, she was _normal_.

 

Kimberly sits with her coin in her hand and she is careful as her fingers run over the glow of the pink inside. After a moment, she slips it into her pocket and resides herself to the fact that this is her future; she’s a Power Ranger now, and there’s no going back.

 

-

 

Trini slowly but surely makes friends.

 

Her best friend is Tommy Oliver. They have become inseparable, and she knows it annoys her mother a little bit. At first, Trini was hesitant to get close to the other girl but it wasn’t long till she realized who her new best friend was close to and that person was none other than Kimberly Hart. She is a little cautious once her friendship with Tommy begins, she can sense that the girl is hiding something and Trini has one too many secrets of her own to hide so she doesn’t feel like putting up with anymore.

 

And Angel Grove is kind of _weird._ Like, superhero weird. She is free from that life for a few months before a gold monster appears and brings out a group called the Power Rangers. Trini rolls her eyes anytime her mother brings them up, and sometimes Trini swears Tommy is a part of them. So she pushes her away, she tries to keep her at a distant in hopes she’ll just leave her alone.

 

Yet Tommy keeps coming around with that daring smirk and sparkling green eyes, and Trini can’t help but fall victim to it. And that is how she ends up with Tommy tugging on her hand as she drags her towards Jason Scott’s house while she rambles on about the study dates she has. Once she pours into the quaint home, it takes her a moment to realize that Jason isn’t alone.

 

“Yo, new girl!” Zack smirks as he nods at her.

 

Trini arches an eyebrow at him, “I didn’t peg you as a study group type, Zack. Seems like you’re just full of surprises.”

 

“Oh, that’s me,” Zack beams. “A walking surprise.”

 

“Hey, T.” Jason grins.

 

“Thanks for letting me crash this, Tommy said that Billy would be able to help me with my Calculus. I’m kind of bombing.” Trini admits as she shoulders her backpack off and looks to said boy. “Think you can lend me a hand?”

 

Billy perks up and nods, “I’d be happy to!”

 

Just as she pulls out her book, the front door open and she looks to the doorway in time to see Kimberly Hart appear. Her mouth goes dry and her heart rate picks up, and she tenses when she sees Kimberly pause as she looks at her with wide eyes. Suddenly, Trini doesn’t feel so welcome anymore. After a moment, Kimberly shakes herself from her staring and looks to Tommy with wide eyes before she forces a smile as she slides her dark eyes to take Trini in.

 

“Didi, right?”

 

Trini falters and scowls, “It’s _Trini_. We have…”

 

“English together.” Kimberly nods.

 

“Bio.” Trini snaps. “We have _Bio_ together.”

 

Trini rolls her eyes as she plops down in the seat beside Billy and ignores Kimberly; she supposes she’s back to how things were in Gotham, dating just isn’t in the cards for her.

 

-

 

Detention is Kimberly’s least favorite thing.

 

Saturday after Saturday she is forced to sit in a room for two hours and do _nothing._ The only thing that makes it a smidge better is that three of her fellow Rangers are stuck there as well, and it shocks her that Tommy hasn’t joined them yet. But all of that changes on yet another boring Saturday, the Rangers are all grouped together at a table when Tommy comes hopping down the steps with a sleepy eyed Trini trailing her.

 

“What’s up, losers?” Tommy hums as she pulls a chair towards the table and spins it so she can straddle it.

 

Jason blinks as he looks from her to Trini, “What are you doing here?”

 

“I’m officially joining the Breakfast Club. Your precious basket case is here.” Tommy beams before she nods to the girl sitting beside her. “And I dragged T along for the ride.”

 

“Wait...what did you guys _do_?” Billy demands.

 

“Polly Pocket Prince here managed to sneak the principal's fucking _car_ on the roof.” Tommy scoffs as she claps a hand on Trini’s back with a look of complete awe. “She refuses to tell me _how_ she did it, but I couldn't let her go down alone.”

 

“That was _you_?” Zack gaps.

 

Trini smirks as she leans back to kick her feet up on the desk, “Guilty as charged.”

 

“Everyone was talking about that for _days_.” Jason laughs as he looks between Trini and Tommy. “How did you guys pull it off?”

 

“I distracted, and she acted.” Tommy shrugs.

 

“But...a car?” Billy demands. “ _How_?”

 

As Tommy jumps into telling them her tale, Kimberly takes a moment to look to Trini who catches her gaze and smiles hesitantly. Just like a hundred times before, Kimberly feels her palms sweat as she takes in Trini’s smile. It’s been almost a year since this girl popped into their town, and Kimberly still turns into a bumbling mess around her.

 

“Hi.” Kimberly grins.

 

Trini tilts her head, “What’s up, princess?”

 

“T, tell them what happened when you got caught!”

 

Just like that, Trini gives her a wink and turns away. As a blush colors her face, Kimberly can’t help but think that detention suddenly isn’t so bad.

 

-

 

“So, where did you move from?”

 

Trini looks up from her phone, “Does it matter?”

 

“You’re the one who invited me on this little...date. You don’t get to be secretive.” Kimberly smirks as she sips her coffee. “Who are you texting? Am I just your side chick?”

 

“You think very highly of yourself.” Trini laughs as she locks her phone and sets it aside, and a look of amusement colors her face as she folds her hands on the table. “And to answer your question, we moved here from Gotham.”

 

Kimberly sputters on her coffee, “Like, _Batman’s_ Gotham?”

 

“He isn’t the only one who lives there so it isn’t really his.” Trini scoffs as she rolls her eyes and stabs a fork into their shared donut.

 

“Sounds like you have a personal issue with the guy. You friends with him?” Kimberly teases, and her eyes widen as Trini falls silent. “ _Bullshit_. You actually know Batman?”

 

“I know _of_ him.” Trini shrugs. “Everyone does.”

 

“Something tells me you know more than you’re letting on.” Kimberly hums as she tilts her glass towards Trini. “I don’t know what you’re hiding, but I’m going to find out.”

 

Trini slides the fork along her teeth and watches the way Kimberly’s eyes dart to her mouth, “And how do you plan to do _that_?”

 

“I’m not sure yet.” Kimberly admits as she licks her lips. “But maybe I can crack you a little on our first real date this Wednesday.”

 

“Oh?” Trini chuckles.

 

“Yup.” Kimberly chirps as she stands and cradles her coffee close to her chest. “I’ll pick you up at seven, alright?”

 

“Alright.” Trini nods.

 

Trini watches Kimberly back away before she shoots her one last smile and brushes out of the coffee shop; with a grin, Trini leans back in her booth as she reaches for her own coffee. Suddenly, dating seems like the best part of Angel Grove.

 

-

 

Kimberly and Trini begin to date not long after that first date in a rundown pizza parlor after they leave a study date with the group. Everything comes natural between them, and their secrets loom but don’t offer a threat. Trini meets Kimberly’s parents on a Sunday afternoon that she is picking her girlfriend up for a picnic, and she is pleasantly surprised by how welcoming they are.

 

“Kimmy, she’s adorable.” Madeline gushes.

 

Kimberly sighs as she flashes a smirking Trini an apologetic frown, “Mom, leave her alone. I’ll be home by ten tonight, okay?”

 

“Nine. It’s a school night.” Edwin reminds her with a stern frown before he looks to Trini. “Take care of my princess, and we won’t have a problem. Break her heart and I can’t be held responsible for what I do to you, alright?”

 

“Dad.” Kimberly whines.

 

Trini waves her off with a smile before she catches Edwin’s strong gaze, “I understand, Mr. Hart. I’ll have her home by eight forty five.”

 

“I like her.” Edwin chuckles. “She’s a keeper, Kimmy.”

 

Kimberly grins as she looks to Trini, “Yeah. I know.”

 

-

 

Diana is a different story.

 

“A _date_?” Diana repeats with a frown.

 

Trini watches her mother’s eyebrow slowly arch as she frowns, “Yeah. We’re going on a date. To the movies. It’s totally normal, Mom. It’s what Lois always tries to get you to do.”

 

“Are you in love?” Diana demands.

 

“What? No!” Trini exclaims as her cheeks flame with a blush. “Mom, I just...I _like_ her. She’s beautiful and she’s smart, you’re really going to like her. She’s a Power Ranger.”

 

Diana hums, “I see.”

 

“That’s your annoyed face.” Trini sighs as she sees the way her mother’s brow furrows and her lips pinch into a thin line. “Why are you annoyed? You’re the one who was all excited when I told you I’ve been hanging out with the Rangers.”

 

“Dating and spending time with are two very different things.” Diana reminds her as her expression softens. “How long has this been going on, Trinity?”

 

“A few weeks.” Trini shrugs. “We were still getting a feel of things, and her life can be pretty hectic sometimes so…”

 

Diana tilts her head, “Does she know that you know of her true identity?”

 

“I mean, I’m sure she’s probably caught onto the fact that I know.” Trini scoffs. “And I _know_ she knows who I am. My uh _costume_ isn’t exactly that concealing.”

 

“Is she worthy?”

 

The question hits Trini and she falters for a moment; she hadn’t really thought about it. She had never even _considered_ thinking like that. All she knows is that Kimberly makes her heart jump and their last four weeks together have been the happiest Trini has felt in a while. Finally, Trini allows a lopsided smile to appear before she nods and watches her mother soften.

 

“Then I can’t wait to _formally_ meet her.”

 

Trini is a bundle of nerves by the time the doorbell rings, and she hurries to let Kimberly in. As Kimberly ducks her head to press a kiss to her lips, the sound of someone clearing their throat causes her to look up and she falters. With an anxious smile, Kimberly looks to Diana who tilts her head and looks her over for a long moment. Trini holds her breath as her mother sizes Kimberly up and she only loosens her form when she sees the small smile that slowly graces her mother’s face.

 

“So, where are you taking my daughter on this evening outing?”

 

“Um, to a movie...ma’am. And then we were going to get dinner afterwards. B-But only if you’re okay with that, ma’am.” Kimberly replies as she shifts nervously and looks to Trini. “I’ll have her home early, if you’d like.”

 

“Trinity is an only child…”

 

Trini slaps a hand to her forehead, “ _Mom_!”

 

“She is my only child. She is my whole world. I ask that you care for her and keep her safe. I do not allow just _anyone_ to take my daughter out.” Diana explains in a stern tone. “My daughter is very fond of you, Miss Hart. Do not hurt her.”

 

Kimberly nods quickly, “You have my word.”

 

“That is all I ask of you.” Diana whispers before she looks to Trini, and her features immediately soften as she tilts her head. “Take a jacket with you, little one. It’s a bit cold out.”

 

“Okay. Bye, Mom.”

 

Trini is quick to grab her jacket off the hook on the wall before she practically drags Kimberly out of the house. The pair is silent as they walk to the car, and Trini smiles softly when she sees her mother watching from the window; Diana waves and Trini feels a pang of _something_. She isn’t sure what, but it jolts her and radiates through her body as she returns to the gesture before she ducks into the car and reaches to fiddle with the radio as Kimberly pulls away from the house.

 

“Your uh your mom is kind of terrifying.” Kimberly admits as she looks to Trini. “I was almost afraid she wouldn’t let you out the door, and if looks could kill then…”

 

“I’m all she has.” Trini cuts in as she continues to fiddle with the dial. “And she’s all _I_ have. We’re just really used to being alone, don’t take it personal. She’ll lighten up.”

 

Kimberly reaches out to take Trini’s hand before she pulls it to her lips, “I understand why she’s so protective of you, don’t worry. She’s a single mom, it must have been hard.”

 

“She’s the best mom a girl could dream up. She’s been with me every step of the way, I never had to worry. She’s...my best friend.” Trini admits as she glances towards Kimberly. “Do _not_ tell anyone I said that, alright?”

 

“Your secret is safe with me.” Kimberly chuckles.

 

Trini is silent as she feels Kimberly’s fingers twine with hers and squeeze, and Trini holds on just as tight. She can’t help but think of her mom, of her  _hero._  A grin tugs at the edges of her lips as she glances to the clock, and she knows her date is going to be cut a little short; something tells her she has somewhere else to be, and she knows Kimberly will understand.

 

-

 

“Mom?”

 

Diana looks up from her tablet and smiles at the sight of her daughter, “There you are. How was your evening out with Kimberly?”

 

“Good.” Trini nods.

 

“You’ve returned earlier than I expected you.” Diana hums as she glances back down to her email and finishes typing the last of it. “Did the evening end on a bad note, my darling?”

 

“No. Everything’s fine.” Trini assures her as she patters into the room and crawls up the bed to rest her head on Diana’s stomach. “I just...I wanted to come home and spend time with you.”

 

Diana allows her hand to fall away from the keyboard and straight into Trini’s hair, “And why would you do that?”

 

“Because I miss this.” Trini admits as she flutters her eyes closed. “Kim and I were talking, after you guys officially met and everything, and it just made me realize how lucky I am to have you.”

 

“I believe _I_ am the one with all the luck.” Diana chuckles as she leans over to abandon her tablet on the bedside table. “I do miss our nights like this, we’re due for a bad movie and ice cream.”

 

“Well, I don’t have anything going on right now. I’m totally free.” Trini chirps as she sits up to match her mother’s grin with one of her own. “Think the world can do without you for one night?”

 

“My world is right here in front of me, little one. Everything else is just background noise.” Diana whispers as she tweaks a finger against Trini’s scrunched nose. “You go pick out the movie and I shall get the ice cream.”

 

“Double scoop?”

 

Diana grins adoringly, “ _Triple._ ”

  
Trini stares at her mother and grins hard and wide, she isn’t sure how she got so lucky with having the mother she does. Instead of crawling off the bed, Trini pushes herself into her mother’s arms and tucks her head beneath her chin as Diana tightens her grasp on her. The movie could wait, Trini needed this moment more anyway.


	15. after all those years, i never thought i'd lose

**Prompt: Sometimes the cliché movie plot doesn't work out. Somwtimes the boy just doesn't get the girl, but that doesn't mean there isn't a happy ending.**

* * *

 

 

His tux feels too tight.

  
  
The chatter around him plays like a soundtrack as he lazily fiddles with the cuffs of his white dress shirt once more and clears his throat. He feels sick to his stomach, and his palms are slick with sweat. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands so he fiddles with his bowtie and smooths at the front of his perfectly ironed fitted black blazer. He wonders if the guests that surround him are as hot as he is, he chances a glance at the line behind him and notices their looks of boredom.  
  
  
Apparently it’s only Jason Scott who is uncomfortable.  
  
  
“You okay?” Billy mumbles as he leans towards him.  
  
  
Jason nods shortly, “Everyone gets nervous for weddings, right?”  
  
  
“Some.” Billy shrugs. “Typically they’re nervous for their _own_ wedding though.”  
  
  
A coldness washes over Jason at Billy’s words; he’s suddenly not so hot anymore.

  
  


**I was fine with the men who would come into her life now and again**

**I was fine cause I knew that they didn’t really matter until you**   
  


 

 _“Jace, stop!”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_A fond smile crosses his face as a form darts from beneath his strong arm, “You don’t want my hugs?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“We just ran two miles, you smell like an armpit.” Kimberly scoffs as she sweeps a hand through her dark locks and glares back at him. “So no, I really don’t want your hugs. Shower and then we can talk about hugs.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“What? I’m wounded.” Jason pouts. “You love my hugs.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“I love your hugs when you smell good.” Kimberly corrects as she walks backwards and gives him a small smile while he simply puckers his lower lip further. “Really? The pout? You play dirty.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Does that mean I get a hug?” Jason teases._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“No.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason chuckles before the expression disappears as he opens her mouth to warn Kimberly, but his words tumble from his mouth just as she crashes into the form of someone else. Both go down with grunts and a loud thud, and Jason watches on with wide eyes as the tangle of limbs settle in the grass of the park. For a moment, Jason simply stands there in slight amusement before he rushes forward to help his best friend up from her fall._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“I am_ ** _so_** _sorry!”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“No, it’s my fault. I was looking at my phone and…”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Yeah, but I was running backwards…”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Good point. It_ ** _is_** _your fault.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_The laughter that rings between them causes Jason to pause for the barest hint of a second as he sees Kimberly squirm from beneath where a woman traps her. Jason tilts his head as he watches the two continue to talk and he can see the spark in his best friend’s gaze, he can see the familiar look that he’s seen a handful of times. Kimberly’s flirting, and by the look on the stranger’s face it’s working pretty well._  
  
_  
_

_ “Kim, are you okay?” Jason demands as he moves forward. _ _   
_ _   
_

_ Kimberly slowly turns her head to look at Jason with wide eyes, “Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine.” _

_  
__  
_

_“Don’t worry.” The woman chirps as she shifts away from Kimberly before she bounces up with grace and offers her hand to Kimberly. “I’m pretty sure I managed to break her fall. I’m good with damsels in distress, and catching things comes naturally to me for some reason.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“She’s bleeding.” Jason snaps._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“What?” The shorter woman frowns. “Where?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Her knee.” Jason replies as he squats in front of Kimberly and he clenches his jaw for a beat as the stranger does the same beside him so they can inspect the small injury. “We should get you back to the apartment, Kim. Take a look at it.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ “Your boyfriend is protective.” The stranger chuckles as she glances up at Kimberly. _

 

_ Kimberly rolls her eyes and steps back slightly, “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my best friend.” _

 

_ “Oh?” The woman grins and she stands quickly, and Jason does the same before the woman offers a hand to Kimberly. “In that case, my name is Trini. Trini Gomez.” _

_  
__  
__“Kimberly Hart.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ “Well, Kimberly Hart,” Trini purrs. “Can I apologize for your knee over some donuts and a box of bandaids?” _

 

_ Ki _ _ mberly chuckles and arches an eyebrow, “Is that how you get all the girls?” _

_  
__  
__“Pretty much.” Trini shrugs. “My bandaids have Superman on them.”_

 

_ "A girl after my own heart.” Kimberly drawls and both women laugh softly as they stare at one another before Kimberly’s smile lightens. “I’d love to get donuts with you. How about tonight? Seven thirty? I know a Krispy Kreme that’s open.” _ _   
_

_  
__  
__“It’s a date.” Trini nods._ _  
_ _  
  
_

 _Jason furrows his brow as he watches them swap phones before Trini presses a kiss to Kimberly’s cheek and turns to jog away. He waits for Kimberly to brag, to hold up her phone in victory like she’s done a thousand times, but the woman simply stares after Trini. The confusion turns to slight dread when wide brown eyes finally turn to him and Jason immediately sees it; there’s no smugness, just pure smitten lightness._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ -x- _

  
  


_ “You’re home late.” _

  
  


_Jason frowns at the voice as he sheds his jacket, “I was out.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Out?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Yeah. Out.” Jason shrugs._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Since when does Jason Scott go_ ** _out_** _?” Kimberly chuckles as she walks towards her with a fresh made bowl of popcorn and a smile Jason is much too fond of. “The only places you go out to is the gym and the grocery store.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“You’re cutting me deep here, Kimberly.” Jason whines as he reaches into the bowl and shovels a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “Popcorn and sweatpants? I take it that you’re having a lonely movie night?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Kimberly nods as she bites down on a kernel, “I am.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ “Give me two seconds to change and I’ll join your lazy ass.” Jason grins as he begins to move. “I’ll even be your pillow. _

  
_ Jason winks as Kimberly laughs in amusement before she slips back into the living room and Jason is quick to dart into his bedroom and change into his favorite sweatpants and a white tanktop before he patters into the living room. The man groans happily as he collapses back on the couch and stretches his arms over his head before Kimberly easily curls into Jason’s side and allows him to drape an arm around her shoulders. _

_  
__  
__They’re halfway through Footloose and a cooling bowl of popcorn when a knock sounds at the door, Kimberly whines loudly in protest until Jason rolls his eyes and stands to see who it is. The smile on his face slips away slowly when he’s met with familiar brown eyes and an amused smirk. He’s gotten a little too used to that smile over the last few months; Trini gives him a once over and arches an eyebrow in silent question._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ “Are you third wheeling our movie night?” Trini snorts. _ _   
_ _   
  
_

_Jason steps aside and allows her in, “The movie night already started.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“It’s not a movie night until you have chocolate, oh dear wise one.” Trini sighs as she holds up a grocery bag and Jason frowns at the weight of it. “I hope you’re in the mood for some really bad horror films. That's our theme for the evening.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Kim hates horror movies…”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Trini!”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Trini grins at the sound of Kimberly’s voice and Jason tries to ignore the way his face crumples in displeasure as his best friend glides into the woman’s embrace. Kimberly curls so easily around Trini’s small frame before she ducks her head so she can press their lips together; Jason has to look away, it’s too much. After a moment, he hears Trini whisper something before his best friend snorts and slaps at her arm._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“We need more popcorn.” Trini announces._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason doesn’t even get a say in it as Kimberly reaches out and holds it his way. The man simply sighs and does as he is silently told and slumps off to wait for another bag of popcorn to pop. By the time it’s finished, the sound of a cheesy suspenseful soundtrack sounds and Jason lazily makes his way into the living room only to pause as he catches sight of Trini curled up in his spot._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Kimberly doesn’t even spare him a glance when he sets the bowl aside and wanders off to his room._ _  
_ _  
__  
__-x-_

 

 _Girlfriend. Girlfriend. Girlfriend._ _  
_ _  
__  
__The word rotates through Jason’s head in a constant loop as he sits on the terrace of the apartment and blows out enough air to cloud around his face. The chill of the morning wraps around him as he stares out the city, watches as it awakens with the sun. The horns start to blare before the sun breaks through and he smiles softly at the way the world keeps turning even though he feels like his is ending._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Why are you out here?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason freezes and glances over his shoulder, “What are you doing up?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Kim is a blanket hog and my nipples were so hard they could cut glass so I went to get another blanket and noticed you were out here,” Trini shrugs before she tosses Jason a simple throw blanket. “So, what are you doing out here?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“I like to watch the sunrise.” Jason shrugs. “Kim and I always do it.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Yeah, sorry she’s not here this morning. Kinda wore her out last night.” Trini teases with a wink that causes a fire to rage in the pit of Jason’s stomach. “Alright, Scott, out with it. Why do you look like you want to kill me?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason shakes his head, “No reason.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Are you pissed that Kimberly isn’t up to watch the sunrise with you?” Trini chuckles as she curls into the seat beside Jason’s and pulls her knees up closer to her chest. “Am I not good enough for you?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“It’s kinda just my thing with Kim…”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Of course it is.” Trini murmurs. “Just like everything else.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason arches an eyebrow, "Are you upset about something?"_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“No. Just trying to understand your friendship with my girlfriend.” Trini replies and her brown eyes meet Jason’s just in time to see him look away at her label for Kimberly. “Like that. Are you against our relationship? Upset she’s with a girl?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“What? Of course not. How could you even say that? Kim is bisexual and I’ve never had a problem with it and I never will. She’s my best friend, she’s been my best friend since we were seven.” Jason shrugs. “There’s not much to understand, we just grew up together.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“And followed each other through middle school, high school, college, and now your adult life? You live together? You’re attached at the hip?” Trini lists. “It must be pretty hard for you to act like you’re not in love with her.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason hesitates for only a moment, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Bullshit, Scott.” Trini snaps. “I know how you feel about her.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“She’s my best friend, Trini,” Jason sighs as he glances towards the woman who stares at him with eyes full of wonder. “I do love her and I always will, but I don’t...I don’t have_ ** _romantic_** _feelings for her.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ Trini opens her mouth to speak and gets a single sound out before she feels lips settle on the top of her head. All at once, the tension between them slips away as Trini turns her attention to Kimberly. Kimberly gives a sleepy laugh as the Trini carefully sweeps her off her feet and into her lap and scatters kisses along her neck; Jason just stares out at the sky and watches as the sun rises and a new day begins. _

 

_ -x- _

 

 _The first time Trini makes Kimberly cry, Jason is ready to tear her apart._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Kimberly comes home from a date an hour too early and he frowns when he hears the barest hint of a sob. Jason is up and off the couch in record time and he’s quick to rush to his best friend’s aid, and she folds into Jason’s arms with ease. Jason doesn’t hesitate to scoop Kimberly into his strong embrace as he carries her to the couch and lowers them to the worn leather and allows her to sob into his chest for a moment._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“What’s wrong?” Jason whispers._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Kimberly sniffles and shakes her head, “It’s stupid.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“You’re_ ** _crying_** _, Kim,” Jason points out with a sound of disbelief. “It’s not stupid.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Trini stood me up.” Kimberly whispers after a moment and she looks up to see the way Jason’s jaw clenches and swallows hard. “Jace, it’s not a big deal. She just...she forgot. I just thought it was important, we’ve been together for six months.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“I’m so sorry, Kimberly.” Jason sighs._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Like I said, it’s stupid…”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“It’s not though, Kim. I know you put a lot into this night.” Jason frowns as he nudges his nose against the top of her head and watches as Kimberly plays with the watch around his wrist. “Where exactly was she?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“She got drunk with Zack and Reggie.” Kimberly shrugs. “I called her and Zack picked up.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason shakes his head, “What do you want me to do?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Hold me. Be my best friend.” Kimberly mutters. “Get me chocolate?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason laughs and kisses her head, “I’ll get you all the chocolate you can handle.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_He sets Kimberly on the couch and ventures off to gather all her favorite things. Chocolate, popcorn, old black and white movies, blankets, and her secret stuffed bear. Jason holds it in his hands and stares down at the ruffled fur ball that he won Kimberly at their ninth grade school fair, it’s missing an eye and half an ear but Kimberly loves it. He wonders if Trini knows that. Jason shakes his head and hurries back out the living room only to pause as he sees Kimberly pulling on a jacket._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Kim?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Kimberly glances up and flips her hair from the collar of the jacket, “I have to go.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Go?” Jason frowns. “Where?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ “Zack called and said that Trini is upset about what happened and she’s really, really drunk. I’m going to go take care of her, somebody has to keep her dumbass from doing anything too stupid.” Kimberly shrugs. “Thank you for taking care of me.” _ _   
_ _   
_

 

 _Kimberly quickly kisses Jason’s cheek and leaves. Jason simply stands there; he was there, but Kimberly clearly didn’t need him._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ She has Trini now. _ _   
_ _   
_

 

_ -x- _

  
  


_Kimberly’s parents adore Trini._ _  
__  
  
_

_Trini takes a trip back to Angel Grove with him and Kimberly; she sees the streets they grew up on and the parks they ran around in. Trini continues to take little pieces of Kimberly’s past and tuck them into her pocket and all Jason can do is helplessly stumble along behind and hope to scoop up a few pieces to keep for himself. They’re so_ ** _happy_** _, and Trini stares at Kimberly like she’s hung every star in the sky and Kimberly looks at Trini as if she’ll disappear any moment._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason wonders if Kimberly knows he looks at her like that too._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ The day that Trini meets Kimberly’s parents, she’s all confidence and smiles. Madeline greets her with hugs and kisses and Ted shakes her hand and Trini has him laughing after only a few short words. It goes perfectly, and Kimberly leaves that night with orders from her parents to keep the girl. Jason just wants the girl to go away. But she won’t, she’s here to stay for a while and Jason knows it. _ _   
_ _   
_

 

_ -x- _

  
  


_“You’re...what?”_ _  
_ _  
__  
__“I’m moving in with Trini.” Kimberly whispers._ _  
_ _  
__  
__“I-I...wow.” Jason breathes out as he shakes his head and stares at his best friend, watches as she swirls her spoon around in a soggy bowl of cereal. “I um didn’t know you guys were that serious. You never said anything.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“We’ve been together for a year and a half, Jace,” Kimberly scoffs as she glances up at him with a look of slight annoyance. “So yeah, we’re that serious. It’s really not a big deal, I’ll only be moving fifteen minutes away.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason doesn’t say anything because he can’t act clueless, he saw this coming. Day by day he watches as small slices of Kimberly leaves their home, and the rare nights Jason goes to Trini’s apartment he sees his best friend all over the place. He sees Kimberly’s black leather jackets in a closet full of yellow. He notices her different superhero mugs mixed in with Star Wars ones. Jason catches sight of jewelry, shoes, shirts, and a toothbrush._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_And he sees that ratty old teddy bear on the head of the queen sized bed._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Their apartment isn’t_ ** _theirs_** _anymore, it’s Jason’s._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“When do you leave?” Jason asks through a mouthful of cereal._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Kimberly blinks slowly, “I-I’m not sure.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Can you maybe figure that out?” Jason sighs as he focuses his attention on the milk in his bowl and pushes the corn flakes around with a look of forced frustration. “I need to start looking for another roommate.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Just like that?” Kimberly questions in a soft voice._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“What do you want me to do, Kim?” Jason demands as he lifts his head and stares at his best friend who blinks in confusion for a moment. “You’re leaving and I have to find someone who can pay half the rent. I’m being practical.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Kimberly deflates only to fire up once more, “I can be gone by this weekend.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“I’ll help you pack.” Jason offers._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Don’t bother.” Kimberly scoffs. “I think I can handle it.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Kimberly storms off and Jason doesn’t follow._ _  
_ _  
__  
__-x-_

  
  


_Jason comes home from a evening workout with Billy to find the apartment bare of his best friend’s things. A simple post it with the word ‘thanks’ and the key is all that he has left of their two years in this place. The defeat he feels makes his knees shake and he sinks to the couch and tosses the key onto the coffee table with a breath of frustration. Kimberly’s gone and there’s nothing he can do; he gives into his pain and finishes a six pack of beer and half a bottle of whiskey._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_He wakes up with a migraine and it doesn’t get any better when he hears the pounding on his apartment door. Jason groans and rubs his eyes as he patters towards the door and he doesn’t bother to see who it is before he flings the door open, and the bad taste in his mouth gets stronger when Jason sees who stands before him; he doesn’t get a word in before a palm reaches out and sweeps across his face._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“What was_ ** _that_** _for, Trini?” Jason scoffs as he presses a hand to his cheek._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Kim got your fucking voicemail, Scott. That’s from me to you.” Trini growls as she glares at him. “I’m done playing this game with you, get over her. Let her go. Move on. Just...stop. You’re only hurting yourself.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ “And you’re not making any sense. What voicemail?”  _

 

_ Trini shakes her head as she takes a step back, “You called last night. Drunk. You started off by telling Kim how much you missed her, and by the end of it all you were telling her how much you hated her for leaving.” _

_  
__  
__“I...I don’t remember…” Jason whispers._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“It doesn’t matter what you remember, Scott.” Trini hisses as she takes another step back and watches as the man sinks against the doorway. “Just stay away from us, alright? If you ever hurt Kimberly like this again, that slap will turn into a full blown ass kicking.”_ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason watches her go and tries to dig up the memory of his activities last night. It takes him thirty minutes to finally remember the slurs in his voice and he groans as he looks at his phone log and notices he called Kimberly thirty two times. And the texts are no better. Jason stares at the phone and then opens his photo album and thumbs through the photos, thumbs through a familiar smile that isn’t reserved for him anymore._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_He calls Kimberly, it goes straight to voicemail._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ Jason doesn’t call her again. _

 

_   
_ _ -x- _

  
  


_Jason goes without speaking to Kimberly for four hundred and sixty four days. He meets a woman named Rita who makes his heart twist in a way he’s not familiar with so he confuses it with love. He lets Rita take every part of him, he lets Rita fill the voids in his heart with a darkness that swallows him whole. He takes it all in stride and waits until the poison takes over, lets it run through his veins until one day it slips away. And so does Rita._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_And Jason is alone again._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason fights to find himself once more and it takes those sixty four days to find a smile, to find a reason to breath. He pours himself into boxing and spreads his heartache across every ring he can step foot in. Soon his face is everywhere and people are requesting fights and his whole life suddenly revolves around surviving. And colors. Jason repaints his life and he can’t help but admire how beautiful it is._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_The beauty gets better on a Sunday afternoon when he slips into a Starbucks and freezes as a familiar laugh rises the hairs on the back of his neck. He looks around and sees her before she sees him; he sees the way she scrunches her nose and notices that her hair is a tad longer now. But she still has the same smile, the one that lights up every part of Jason’s body. She has the same laugh. The same beauty._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_The only new thing about her is the ring on her finger._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Jason wants to slip away the second he sees it, but then brown eyes find him and he’s stuck in place. It takes all of five seconds before his arms are full of Kimberly Hart and he sighs as he buries his face in Kimberly’s hair and curls his arms around her. Jason doesn’t want to let go. And by the way Kimberly squeezes him, she doesn’t want to either. So he holds her, and when Kimberly finally squirms free she looks at Jason with stars in her eyes and the beam of the sun on her face._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_She’s beautiful. She’s engaged. But she’s Kimberly._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_“Hi.” Kimberly whispers._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ Jason gives a lopsided smile, “Hi.” _

  
  


_ -x- _ _   
  
_

 

 _Jason fits back into Kimberly’s life with so much ease that it scares him. It’s like he never left. They meet up for coffee every Wednesday morning and grab dinner every Friday, sometimes they’re alone and other times Trini tags along. Jason still doesn’t like Trini, and he knows it’s because of that stunning engagement ring. Jason tries not to stare at it, tries to pretend that he hasn’t counted the diamonds a thousand times._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_Their wedding plans are a hot topic and Jason feels his heart flutter each time Kimberly’s eyes light up as she talks about wedding bands and colors and flowers; the last wedding Kimberly planned involved Jason, a Cheeto wedding ring, and a mud wedding cake. Back then, that’s all they could afford but now the money comes from both Kimberly’s parents and Trini’s. The sky’s the limit when it comes to their wedding, and Jason wishes he didn’t have to be a part of it._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_And then Kimberly asks Jason to be her best man._ _  
_ _  
__  
_

_ Jason tries to say no a thousand times, but all that comes out of his mouth is a strong and firm yes. And the breath of relief Kimberly gives makes Jason flinch slightly. After that, there’s no escaping the plans. Jason picks out flowers, he samples wedding cakes with the happy couple, and he gets fitted for the perfect black tux. It’s all so  _ **_perfect_ ** _ , it’s all so...not Kimberly. And that’s when Jason knows that the girl he fell in love with isn’t there anymore. _ _   
_ _   
_

_Jason loved his Kimberly, but she’s Trini’s now._  
  
  


The music starts and Jason is back in reality.  
  
  


Jason straightens his shoulders and looks to see the group that is lined up opposite her; Tommy, Zack, and Reggie look amazing. Tommy looks _beautiful_. But not quite as beautiful as the woman who walks down the red carpet, her dark eyes find Jason’s and she beams. Jason’s heart fills with so much warmth that he fears it’ll catch fire soon, he offers her a smile in return and watches as Ted kisses her cheek and lets his little girl go.  
  
  


Right into arms that aren’t Jason’s.   
  


 

Kimberly takes her place in front of Jason, but her back is to him. Jason’s simply her best man. He’s simply the man who went wedding dress shopping with Kimberly and spent too many hours trying not to picture the perfect tux that would go with each gown Kimberly chose; he notices how beautiful Trini and Kimberly’s gowns blend together. Jason blocks it all out, tries not to listen as personal vows are read, as promises are made.

  
  
The preacher asks for the rings and Jason offers a gorgeous silver band, and Kimberly takes it with a watery smile before she looks back to Trini. Through sickness and health, they’ll have each other. For better or worse, they’ll begin their lives together. For richer or poorer, they’ll bring beautiful children into the world. Till death do they part they’ll have a happiness that Jason can only dream of.  
  
  


When the preacher gives them the que to kiss and Kimberly sweeps Trini into her arms, Jason can’t help but think of how perfect he and Kimberly were for a wedding because Kimberly was something borrowed and Jason is something blue.  
  
  
**It’s over, isn’t?** **  
** **Why can’t I move on?**


	16. he ain't the only one giving her away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Something that came to me a while ago. Thought I'd go ahead and post it :) it's heavy on Trini/Tommy buuuut...you'll see. Just read.

Trini Gomez is adorable and feisty.

 

It’s how the neighbors describe her when they see her playing in the yard. It’s what her abuela and aunts coo to her as they pinch her cheeks. It’s the first thing her parents thought when she came into the world. Adorable. It’s Trini’s word. And the word rings true now as she stacks her favorite stuffed bears beside her little brothers and pulls the scarf over her head to resemble a veil. Beneath the apple tree in her backyard, Trini walks slowly down an aisle lined with sticks and hastily torn flowers with a handful of roses in her tiny fists.

 

“Whatcha doin’, Gomez?”

 

Trini huffs as she turns her head, “Nothing.”

 

“Doesn’t look like nothing, nerd,” The seven-year-old scoffs as she ducks between the broken board of their fence. “Are you marrying Mateo or Alec?”

 

“Ew!” Trini frowns. “They’re my brothers, doofus.”

 

“Well, it doesn’t look like anybody is waiting for you at the end of the aisle.” Tommy whistles as she stuffs her hands in her overall pockets. “You gotta have someone to marry.”

 

“I-I’m just practicing!” Trini squeaks.

 

Tommy gives a lopsided grin, “I’ll help.”

 

“No way.” Trini sneers as she pulls the scarf from the top of her head. “Come on, boys. Let’s go have snack time.”

 

Mateo leaps up on wobbly legs, “Snack time!”

 

“Yeah, snack time!” Alec chirps.

 

“You’re getting married, Trini! You can’t just bail on your own wedding.” Tommy points out. “I’ll be the broom or whatever.”

 

“It’s _groom_.” Trini corrects. “And I don’t want to play wedding with you.”

 

“Why not?” Tommy pouts.

 

“Cause I don’t want to marry _you_.”

 

Trini, in all her adorable glory, gives Tommy one last glare before she disappears into her house with a quick slam of her door.

 

-

 

“Hey, Gomez!”

 

Trini huffs out an annoyed sigh, “Tommy.”

 

“What are you doing?”

 

At the age of eleven, Trini likes to think she has graduated beyond the definition of adorable and onto the word mature. Tommy Oliver is the opposite of mature. She is constantly muddy, and her mother has warned her time and time again that she is a girl and a girl has no place playing in the mud. With a roll of her eyes, Trini glances up to see Tommy crawling through the fence before she tumbles forward and onto a stack of cut up magazines. With a squeak of irritation, Trini yanks them from beneath Tommy’s body and sets them on her opposite side.

 

“Careful.” Trini orders.

 

Tommy gives a sheepish smile, “My bad. Whatcha doing?”

 

“I’m making my wedding binder.” Trini explains in a stiff tone. “My mami gave me hers, and I wanna make one for myself.”

 

“Cool.” Tommy nods, and she scrunches her nose as she leans over to see cutouts of different wedding dresses. “I wanna wear a football jersey at my wedding.”

 

“Of course you do.” Trini hums.

 

“And I want hot dogs and Dr. Pepper at the party afterwards.” Tommy continues. “And instead of bird seed, I want everyone to throw money so I can spend it on my honeymoon.”

 

“How _practical_ of you.” Trini sighs. “I want my wedding to be perfect. I want my Tio Gordan to be the priest and my papi has to walk me down the aisle. Mateo or Alec will be my maid of honor.”

 

Tommy scrunches her nose, “Sounds boring.”

 

“That’s because this is _my_ wedding.” Trini reminds her as she flashes her a soft smile. “You can make your own binder, this is mine.”

 

“We can share.” Tommy shrugs

 

Trini laughs softly and shakes her head, “No. That would be weird. I’m not gonna marry  _you,_ Tommy. This is for my future groom.”

 

“Trini!”

 

Trini glances up, “Yes, Mami?”

 

“Come inside, mija.” June smiles, and she spares Tommy a quick wave. “I have some more magazines for you to look through.”

 

“Cool!”

 

Trini is quick to gather her binder and things together before she shouts a goodbye over her shoulder and hurries after her mother. Tommy sighs as she watches Trini duck into the house, and she reaches out to grab a forgotten clipping of a wedding gown and stuffs it in her pocket.

 

-

 

“Gomez, you came!”

 

Trini laughs and waves him off, “Don’t let it go to your head.”

 

“How did I do?” Tommy smirks.

 

“You scored the winning goal, dude.” Trini snorts, and Tommy can’t help but beam with pride. “You basically carried your entire team.”

 

“Well, someone has to.” Tommy shrugs.

 

“Check this out, Tom.” Trini begins, and Tommy laughs in amazement when her best friend twirls to show off ‘Oliver’ written in green lettering across her shirt. “The boys are wearing one too.”

 

Tommy hides her flush of pride as she slings an arm around Trini’s shoulders, “You know the way to a girl’s heart, T. Some girl is gonna be ridiculously lucky to have you.”

 

“You think?” Trini whispers.

 

“Yeah. Totally.” Tommy nods.

 

At fifteen, Trini is fresh out of the closet and trying to navigate her way through high school. Tommy tries to help her as best she can, she fights the bullies and comforts Trini when she’s scared. Tommy was even there when Trini came out to her parents and her mother cried, she had simply held her and promised her that it was going to be okay. You see, Trini Gomez coming out? That had been a bit of a shock to everyone, and she is still trying to find her place in her jumbled up world.

 

“I knew I’d eventually get you in a jersey…”

 

Trini tosses her head back with a laugh, “Just because I’m wearing a jersey right now doesn’t mean that I want to wear one to my wedding.”

 

“Damn. Thought I might have changed your mind. How about the reception idea?” Tommy asks as she leads Trini into the crowded parking lot. “Hot dogs and soda, huh?”

 

“Absolutely not.” Trini snorts.

 

Tommy rolls her eyes, “Then what kind of food would you like that the wedding reception, crazy girl? A four course meal?”

 

“Three course.” Trini corrects.

 

“Oh God. Seriously? That’s going to be expensive as hell, T.” Tommy moans. “What about something smaller?”

 

“Nope. My mind is made up.” Trini beams. “I want an outdoor wedding, something in a comfortable field. And magnolias. I want hundreds and hundreds of magnolias.”

 

“You never were one for the simple things.” Tommy sighs. “I guess magnolias aren’t the _worst_ flower you could’ve picked.”

 

“Trini. Hey.”

 

Trini turns with wide eyes, “H-Hi, Amanda.”

 

“I thought I saw you in the stands earlier.” Amanda grins as she approaches the pair. “Did you enjoy the game?”

 

“I did.” Trini smiles, and Tommy glances away at the blush that colors her cheeks. “I uh I really liked your halftime performance.”

 

Amanda giggles and glances over her shoulder, “I was wondering if you wanted to come with my parents and I for some dinner? They promised we’d get ice cream after.”

 

“Y-Yeah! Totally. Sure.” Trini breathes out.

 

Tommy gaps as she looks between them and sees Amanda’s excited expression, “I thought we were planning your wedding.”

 

“Huh? Oh. No. It’s okay, Tom,” Trini laughs as she waves her best friend off. “It’s not like I’m marrying _you_. You don’t have to play along.”

 

Tommy watches as Amanda leads Trini away and her head falls forward with a sigh, “Yeah. Maybe I wanted to.”

 

-

 

“I think we’re gonna get married.” Trini mutters as she fiddles with the straw in her milkshake. “She’s everything I could want in someone, Tom. She’s so strong and sure.”

 

Tommy hums as Trini continues to gush about Amanda. Halfway into junior year, Trini is still happy with Amanda Clark and Tommy is trying to pretend she’s feeling the same way in her own relationship. Amanda and Trini are the golden couple of Angel Grove High, the star soccer player and her cheerleader of a girlfriend. They’re the couple that everyone looks at with wide eyes that scream of envy. It makes Tommy sick to her stomach, to be honest. She’d give anything for Trini to look at her like that. But she won’t. Because she’s with Amanda, and Tommy understands that. She accepts that, but the feelings just won’t go away.

 

“You think you’ll marry Jason?”

 

Tommy chokes on her cherry coke as she turns her wide eyes to Trini, “W-What? No! We’ve only been dating for a few weeks.”

 

“So?” Trini shrugs.

 

“Not everyone is as sure as you are about Amanda, Trini.” Tommy snaps. “Not all of us have binders and stupid cutouts of shitty wedding dresses and clashing colors.”

 

Trini blinks as she stares at Tommy, “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m _fine._ ” Tommy growls. “I’d just appreciate it if you’d keep all that wedding bullshit to yourself. I’ve had to deal with it since we were seven and I’m tired of it. Just...live, Trini. Stop trying to grow up so fast, alright?”

 

“I’m not!” Trini protests.

 

“You are! You’re pushing everything, Trini. You think Amanda wants all that pressure on her? You think she wants to hear it?” Tommy sneers. “We’re still kids, Trini. How about you stop trying to force love into your life and just enjoy it?”

 

“Wow.” Trini scoffs. “Tell me how you really feel.”

 

“I just did.” Tommy grumbles.

 

“I’m gonna go.” Trini whispers after a moment, and Tommy doesn’t try to protest as she stands and gathers a letterman with Clark spelled out on the back. “Bye, Tommy.”

 

Tommy barely spares Trini a goodbye as she finishes off her coke in silence and stares out the window of the malt shop. With a roll of her eyes, Tommy sees the moment that Amanda appears in all her rescuing glory and sweeps Trini away in her red Mustang. When Tommy goes to pay, a torn piece of paper falls from her wallet and she squats down to pick it up only for a hand to reach out and grab it instead.

 

“What is this?”

 

Tommy sighs as she meets blue eyes, “Nothing.”

 

“Nothing?” Jason repeats as he struggles to unfold the worn piece of paper. “Well, nothing looks a whole lot like a wedding dress. Is there something you want to tell me?”

 

“If I hear one more person talk about weddings then I’m going to explode.” Tommy snarls. “I just told Trini that I’m sick of hearing about them, I don’t need to hear it from my boyfriend too.”

 

“Okay. Fine. Calm down.” Jason orders with wide, curious eyes. “Is that why Trini stormed out of here and straight into Amanda’s car?”

 

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Tommy mutters.

 

“Okay. How about we go back to your place? Your parents are still at work, right?” Jason smirks purrs as he steps into Tommy’s space. “I bet I could get your mind off of everything.”

 

“Please do.” Tommy sighs.

 

Jason smiles softly as he takes Tommy’s hand and begins to pull her towards the door. Later, when Jason is sated and sleeping, Tommy digs through her boyfriend’s pockets till she finds the magazine clipping. After staring at the gown, Tommy finally returns it to its rightful spot in her wallet.

 

-

 

Tommy wakes up to her phone ringing and she barely has it to her ear before she hears a raspy sob. The sound breaks her heart and immediately wipes out every ounce of exhaustion in her bones as she whispers Trini’s name.

 

“She broke up with me.”

 

Tommy rubs at her eyes, “Huh?”

 

“Come to the fence.”

 

The evening rain melts through her jacket and into her pajamas as she rushes through the backyard and to the broken slot in the fence. She considers climbing through the tiny spot, but she instead presses herself against the damp wood of the fence and fits her hand through the crack. All at once, cold fingers grasp onto hers and Tommy hears the briefest hint of a sob.

 

“Trini? What happened?” Tommy asks.

 

“I don’t know.” Trini admits. “Sh-She slept with someone else. She told me that she didn’t mean to hurt me, but that’s a lie. It’s a lie, Tom. If she loved me, if she loved me like I love her, then she would’ve died before hurting me.”

 

Tommy rests her head against the fence, “I’m sorry, Gomez. What do you need me to do? Do you want me to go beat her ass?”

 

“Absolutely not.” Trini scoffs. “I-I still love her, Tom. I don’t want her to hurt. I mean, I can’t love her and I can’t hate her so either way I lose.”

 

“What happens now?” Tommy asks.

 

“Nothing.” Trini mumbles with a bitter laugh. “I just need to feel...nothing. I need to just  _stop._ You were right, Tommy.”

 

“I...Trini, I didn’t mean what I said.”

 

“But you were right.” Trini sighs. “It’s time to stop. I need to enjoy life, right? I should be planning for college, not my stupid fucking future wedding.”

 

“I’m sorry, Trini.”

 

Trini’s head thumps against the wood, “Me too.”

 

-

 

Tommy sees Trini throw out her wedding binder the next morning. Sees the change in her best friend as the smile that once lit up her face is dimmed away with the reality of heartbreak. She wants to stop her, but instead Tommy waits for her to go inside before she sneaks out to the trashcan and pulls the worn book out. She manages to sneak it into a box full of Trini’s old toys; Trini may not want it now, but Tommy knows she’ll need it later.

 

-

 

“Hey, you.”

 

Tommy smiles over her shoulder, “Hey.”

 

“What are you doing out here, state champ?” Trini teases as she sits on the step beside Tommy. “I thought you’d be halfway towards drunk by now. What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing.” Tommy shrugs. “Just thinking.”

 

“About?”

 

“About stuff.” Tommy replies.

 

Trini huffs and knocks their shoulders together playfully, “Like what?”

 

“Does it matter?” Tommy scoffs, and she is quick to turn her attention to the vodka in her glass as Trini frowns. “I’m just being moody over the fact that this is our last game. We’re done.”

 

“And now you’re going to UCLA to continue playing.” Trini points out. “It’s not the end of your softball career, Tom. It’s the beginning.”

 

“You’re too optimistic, Gomez.”

 

“Someone has to balance out your pessimism.”

 

Tommy chuckles as she sets her glass aside and pulls Trini into her arms. Like a thousand times before, Tommy thinks about how well they fit together. They always have, from the first forced playdate at age of two to this very moment. Tommy sometimes likes to think they’re meant to be, that Trini will see what she sees someday. Trini hums as her eyes flutter shut, and Tommy takes advantage of the peaceful moment and turns her head to press a lingering kiss to Trini’s forehead. As her lips draw away, Trini looks up and catches her eye.

 

She gets lost in soft brown eyes, and wonders who she has to kill to ensure she can look into them forever. The moment is perfect. They’re together, alone, and in each other’s protective embrace. Tommy slowly ducks her head as Trini tilts her own up, and as their lips hang a breath apart the back door slides open and loud whoops of excitement break apart their moment.

 

Tommy flashes a glare towards a very clearly drunk Jason and Zack while Trini giggles and wiggles out of Tommy’s arms. And just like that, Tommy feels her last chance slip from her fingers.

 

-

 

“Fuck. You have _so_ much shit, dude.”

 

Trini smirks as she slams her car door, “Anyone ever tell you that you’re a tad dramatic?”

 

“You’ve been telling me that since you figured out how to say it without a lisp.” Tommy teases, and a yelp leaves her as Trini slaps her bicep. “Ow! Damn, Rocky!”

 

“I’m gonna miss that.” Trini whispers.

 

“Punching me?” Tommy scoffs.

 

“No, doofus,” Trini replies with a goofy smile that lights up Tommy’s entire world. “Just...you. You being you. I’m gonna miss it.”

 

“I’ll miss you too.” Tommy murmurs as she looks away from bright brown eyes. “Don’t forget about me why you’re tearing up New York, alright?”

 

Trini curls her arms around Tommy’s neck and pulls her close, “I couldn’t forget you even if I tried. And same goes for you, alright?”

 

“I won’t remember anything else.”

 

“Hey, you can’t steal lines from a movie.” Trini protests as she pulls away with a grin. “I’ll call you when I get there, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

As soon as Trini climbs into the car and gives her one last wave, Tommy allows her first tear to fall. And as the car finally disappears around the corner, Tommy feels like Trini is driving off with every piece of heart.

 

-

 

Tommy sighs as she steps up to the fridge and pauses with her hand inches away from the handle. She doesn’t know why it hurts every time she goes to get a beer only to be met with a black and white invitation. Maybe it hurts because it’s Trini’s dream wedding on display. Maybe because she didn’t find out about this exciting engagement until the Tuesday when the invitation arrived. Or maybe it’s because Trini is marrying someone named Kimberly Hart instead of her.

 

Whatever it is, it keeps Tommy from drinking.

 

The stupid piece of paper is ruining her life.

 

-

 

They look so happy.

 

Tommy stands with a tipsy and smiling Jason in the Gomez house and watches as Kimberly and Trini take their time greeting guests and sharing laughs. They look solid, inseparable. They move around each other like a dance that is choreographed to perfection. Their smiles, their happiness, makes it clear that Trini has found that groom she always talked about. In the end, it turns out that Trini really didn’t want to marry her.

 

She hasn’t been back in this house since the day she said goodbye to Trini six years ago. Things have changed, _they_ have changed. The treehouse they decorated when they were five rotted two years ago so Trini’s parents cut it down. The concrete beside the pool, where their initials were written at the age of twelve, has been sealed and erased. And the broken wooden slot in the fence has been nailed shut; it feels like the final nail in the coffin that is Tommy’s hope for a happy ever after.

 

“Tommy!”

 

Tommy forces a smile as Trini approaches, “Hi. It’s so good to see you again, Trini. Congrats. This is all my parents have been talking about for the last month.”

 

“Gotta love mama and papa Oliver.” Trini teases, and Tommy melts at the grin she is given. “Tom, this is my fiancée. Kimberly. Kim, this is my childhood best friend. Tommy.”

 

“Tommy.” Kimberly nods. “I’ve heard about you.”

 

“And I’ve read about you.” Tommy replies as she accepts the dainty handshake Kimberly gives. “New York best sellers list?”

 

“Oh. Yeah.” Kimberly blushes.

 

“That’s impressive.” Tommy whistles.

 

Kimberly shrugs, “I couldn’t have done it without Trini, she helped me a lot. She’s my muse. One look into those eyes and I think I could write a million more best sellers.”

 

“Babe…” Trini whispers with an adoring roll of her eyes. “You’ll have to excuse her, she’s a sap. Not to mention, there is a running joke that she’s Shakespeare and Taylor Swift’s love child.”

 

“Shut up.” Kimberly laughs as she wraps her arms around Trini’s waist and bumps her nose against her shoulder. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

 

“Oh, I’m adorable. Duh.”

 

“You are.”

 

Trini melts as she turns her head to press a kiss to Kimberly’s lips, “I love you.”

 

“I love you.” Kimberly whispers.

 

Tommy slips away to find the first bottle of champagne she can get her hands on. She gets drunk that night and fucks Jason against the wall of her childhood bedroom, and comes with Trini’s name on the tip of her tongue.

 

-

 

Tommy steps out of her car and straight into Trini’s dream wedding.

 

The guests mingle and flood into the waiting seating area while Tommy pauses to take it all in. Trini’s uncle decked out in a suit? Check. Her father beaming proudly, waiting to escort her down the aisle? Check. Her brothers frantically rushing around to finish their last minute duties? Check. Beautiful magnolias filling her senses and draped perfectly over the archway waiting at the end of the white cloth aisle? Check. And the world’s most beautiful bride waiting for it all to begin? Check.

 

Perfection.

 

The guestbook is crowded as she approaches the table and she takes a moment to look over the multiple pictures set up on the table. Trini looks beautiful in their engagement photos, all smiles with eyes that shine. As she finally approaches, her hand lingers over the pen before she quickly jerks herself back and turns to walk towards the seats. Her suit feels tight and she hates it, she can’t help but pull at the knot of her tie as she slips into a seat and takes another long glance around.

 

Kimberly makes her entrance not too long after and Tommy flexes her jaw as she stares at her. The woman looks stunning in her wedding gown with her hair falling in curls and her gaze anxious as she waits for everything to begin. It takes her a moment to realize she can’t do it, she can’t sit here and squander her chance away. Tommy skips from her aisle of seats and hurries out of the barn with one goal in mind: she is going to get this heavy feeling off her chest.

 

Her hand falls into the pocket of her slacks and she feels the familiar fading gloss of the magazine clipping before she skids around the corner. She’s going to do it, she’s going to tell Trini she loves her. Finally, she hears that bell like laughter and she speeds up her walk in time to see a formally dressed woman set a purple binder down. Trini’s wedding binder. She found it, that’s all Tommy can think of, she found it and she used it. As she takes a step back, Tommy feels her breath catch as she sees Trini for the first time.

 

There she is, dressed in a gown that fits her figure and reminds her of the one Trini circled fourteen times when they were nine and having a sleepover. Dark brown hair curls along her shoulders and a familiar veil is draped over her hair as her mother fusses over her. It’s perfect. It’s Trini’s dream. And Tommy can’t ruin that, she can’t ruin this.

 

As she pauses to watch Trini press a kiss of greeting to an elderly woman’s cheek, Tommy pulls the worn magazine clipping from her pocket and glances down at it. She looks once from the paper to Trini before she crumples up the old magazine and tosses it on the ground.

 

Trini wants to get married. She _is_ getting married, but not to Tommy.

 

Never to Tommy.


End file.
